Darryl Halbrooks' foray into short story writing brings a fresh and creative voice to the genre. His visions are sometimes disturbing, sometimes compassionate, sometimes moving, sometimes gripping, but always insightful, and intriguing. Many of us first became familiar with Darryl's work through his notable prowess as a visual artist and his national reputation as a painter. Typical of his work, this collection is a true mélange of stories that are difficult to classify, resulting in an element of surprise and heightened anticipation for the reader. Darryl's stories complement and inform his work as a visual artist. Mélange, by combining his stories with his original illustrations, provides a rare opportunity to gain insight to the creative processes an important artist and writer.  

Dr. Steven Faulkenberg