Concord, Virginia - A Southern Town in Eleven Stories

Welcome to Concord, Virginia. Tucked into the rolling hills of rural Virginia, "in the places set between folds in the Earth, voices echo against mountains..." Through 11 short stories, author Peter Neofotis carefully weaves together a fictional patchwork of voices, characters and history of a close-knit bygone Southern town torn between tradition and modernity. Drawn from his experiences growing up in the South, Concord, Virginia is a strong debut for Neofotis, who previously received acclaim for sharing these stories in an off-Broadway one-man show (a "panegyric performance" as he describes it). Equally Gothic, haunting, humorous, touching: each short story is captivating enough to stand on its own, but strengthened by interwoven story lines and themes from its companions.

In The Vultures, George MacJenkins is plagued by black vultures who nest in his yard and wreak havoc. Is this the consequence of his beloved wife's accidental death?

In The Strangers Gypsy woman Ms. Tzigane, the town's eccentric, finds a kindred spirit in Mr. Silversmith, newly arrived in America after surviving the horrors of Auschwitz. The unlikely couple find freedom in the meditative waters of Fork River.

In The Botanist, Neofotis calls upon his own experience growing up gay in the rural South as he tells the story of Simon Donald, a young man put on trial for his sexuality. In his childhood, Simon learned about plant life and gardening from the town's prized gardener. Personal growth, he learns, might not be so different from planting vegetables.

Though the 11 stories span from the nineteen century to the late 1970s, each story is subtly linked to the others in an effort to show the timeless - and perhaps supernatural - sense of place in Concord. But time has a habit of catching up.