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A dark and funny short story collection that reveals poignant truths about queer chosen family
A lesbian mother feels out of place taking her daughter to a princess party; a gay couple turns to unconventional means to create their baby; a grieving man winds up on a date with a centaur; an agoraphobic must make an impossible choice before time runs out. This is the unnerving world of Runs in the Blood, Matthew J. Trafford's sophomore story collection, and it pulses with humour, anxiety, and profound disquiet.
Darkly satirical and unflinchingly human, the stories of Runs in the Blood unsettle our notions of family, whether biological or chosen. Careening through the space beyond nature versus nurture, its characters—betrayed, wounded, unequipped—wrangle with their own worst instincts and the grotesqueries of the modern world, attempting to create families worth holding on to and to protect the children they love.
Delightful and disarming, odd and audacious, Runs in the Blood announces the return of a bold and fearless writer.
"Runs in the Blood is a collection of stories that traces the lines of our darkest thoughts with intimate care. I found myself drawn to each complex and complicated character, whether beast or human, yearning to know more, ferociously consuming every single story."
—Daniel Zomparelli, author of Everything Is Awful and You're a Terrible Person
"Trafford's stories are intimate and imaginative, written with a blend of delicate observation and a ruthless curiosity about the origins and outcomes of desire. Runs in the Blood is full of passion, secrets, the tenderness and agonies of love, and an often disturbing vitality."
—Naben Ruthnum, author of Helpmeet
"What I love about Runs in the Blood—aside from Trafford's masterful writing—is the way the stories unravel to reveal such tenderness, horror, and heartbreak. I've never read a collection of stories with this unique focus on families. This book and these characters feel like a revelation."
—Brian Francis, author of Fruit
"These darkly satirical yet poignant stories about queer chosen family are the next big thing in queer fiction, solidifying Matthew J. Trafford as a rising doyen of the craft."
—Strand Bookstore
Matthew J. Trafford (he/him) holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. His first collection of stories, The Divinity Gene (Douglas & McIntyre), garnered critical acclaim in the US and Canada. He continues to write and teach fiction and has recently developed a fibre arts practice, knitting and designing knitwear as Fairy Godfather Knits. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.