The Way Things Always Happen Here

“Kevin Stewart’s muscled prose examines the complexity of man, the attendant violence, the richness of living. The Way Things Always Happen Here is a compelling, rewarding read.”—Sabina Murray, author of The Caprices, Forgery, The Human Zoo & Muckross Abbey and Other Stories

“Kevin C. Stewart’s stories chart lush, haunted landscapes reminiscent of the best work of James Dickey or Richard Hugo. … Filled with menace, gritty poetry, and longing, this is a significant debut by a gifted storyteller.”—Nic Pizzolatto, author of Between Here and the Yellow Sea & Galveston, and creator of True Detective (HBO)

“Reading this taught and true debut is like driving a two-lane blacktop road wedged between mountain and creek: the honest, spare language under you; the gritty surprises around every turn; and the steady, keen insights into both the horrors and the loveliness of Appalachian and Ozark hill country.”—Ann Pancake, author of Given Ground, Strange as This Weather Has Been & Me and My Daddy Listen to Bob Marley

“Kevin C. Stewart’s rendering of place is so deft and accurate that every detail rings true. … Stewart is the real thing, a writer to the bone.”—Donald Hays, author of The Dixie Association, The Hangman’s Children, The Dying Light & The Great Awakening

“Kevin C. Stewart shows us a South struggling to wrench itself into the current century, both clinging to and trying to discard its massive baggage. Fine, fine, necessary fiction.”—Tom Franklin, author of Poachers, Smonk, Hell at the Breech & Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter