by Robert Michael Congemi 

The stories collected in Dreaming Mother into Existence seek to pay homage to the art of the short story, being suggestive, textured, varied. While the august and elegant novel carries complexity to substantial length, the short story may choose to provide succinct attention to theme, sudden turns of plot and startling epiphany. Nor is meaning neglected. In this volume, such stories as Once I saw the Calypso Star and The Overlooked Man note the random in life. The Pumpkin Eater, The Story of My Creativity, and “...It’s All in your Mind" describe resistance to this existential fate. Chocolate Cake and Aunt Beatrice seek to illume life-affirming transcendence. 

 Robert Michael Congemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised there and on Long Island. He has long been attracted to ideas describing life as indeterminate and even absurdest, but has also held out for the possibility that these ideas are not necessarily correct. Further, he is interested in the attempts of people to bring meaning and beauty into their lives, as well as resistance to what they feel is an unacceptable fate. Congemi teaches at SUNY/ Empire State College.