Fiction. Like his mentors Chuck Kinder and Lewis Nordan, Michael Gerhard Martin writes deeply textured stories that take you into the minds and souls of the people you see in discount stores, grocery aisles, and gas stations. In the tradition of Raymond Carver, Martin's tales give dignity and grace to adults caught in the cold grip of poverty and to their children, who struggle mightily with broken homes, bullying, racism, and the constant hum of anger, violence, and resentment that is their lives. In a voice ringing with emotion, the stories in EASIEST IF I HAD A GUN will remind you what literature is for—that great project of taking us deeper into life, laying it bare, and transforming it with words into something we can hold in our hearts.