"As Stephen walked into the apartment, he saw his brother Gabi's body, naked...a huge blob of flesh lying motionless on the ground, just as he knew he would be. Gabi was motionless, and Stephen trembled as he went to lift his head to feel for a pulse. As he did this, his brother suddenly opened his eyes to Stephen's horror and said impishly: 'Hello...hi, hi...what's up with you? Now get me the hell up. I'm freezing.'"
[Zsolt Alapi, The Mark of Zorro and Other Stories]

These interconnected stories focus on the life of 'Stephen', from his youth, through adolescence, into adulthood. Initially, he is a boy trying to survive amidst poverty, controlled by his dour, religious grandmother and stern father. In order to overcome these challenges, Stephen copes by living through his imagination, focusing on heroic figures (Zorro, among others) who provide an outlet for his longings. Other stories include Stephen's initiation into sexuality and his reflection on his isolation and "otherness" as an immigrant to North America, finishing with a novella, "My Brother's Keeper," that charts the life of dying, charismatic, older brother. This Bildungsroman is an often humorous, sometimes tragic exploration of identity, exile, and the search for authenticity within the chaos of displacement.

"Alapi's words seethe and writhe on the page: at once excoriating, funny and generous, his writing is unforgettable."
--- Heidi James (author of Wounding and So the Doves)

"Rapier sharp writing: literary, funny and tragic."
--- Steve Hussy (author of Alcoholic and Womanoholic)