Bix's Trumpet and Other Stories.

Ronald Charles Epstein is a Toronto-based freelance writer and published poet.

Veteran author Dave Margoshes was a newspaper reporter and journalism teacher. This experience enables him to craft his stories on the assumption that his protagonists are independent agents that he keenly observes and sharply records. This does not mean that he surrenders his creative powers—he is still the master of his characters and their circumstances. Apparent detachment, inevitable control; perhaps he has his cake and eats it too. Margoshes is aware that his readers also expect treats, which he cleverly supplies. In “The Gift,” Gerry buys a gold necklace for Lorna, a Lutheran minister whom he is meeting at a restaurant. Unfortunately, her name is inscribed in Hebrew letters—both the protagonist and the reader know that she despises her Jewish ex-husband. Those who can figure out why his choice is inappropriate may enjoy seeing the hapless suitor suffer the inevitable consequences. Although the publisher may claim that these stories are of such an “everyday character” that they have been “set in two classic American typefaces,” their creator can throw an unexpected curve. The character with “Paul Newman eyes” in “Scars” is the narrator/protagonist’s wife. “The Unattempted Kiss” features Zelaro, the son of Hungarian Gypsies who survived Treblinka by pretending to be Jews.

On the other hand, the World War II tale “A Young Lady from West Virginia” is so mainstream that it could be mistaken for a Reader’s Digest article. Margoshes uses his Jewish background in a manner that reinforces his fiction. His awareness of the religious significance of the surname Cohen explains why a Montreal car thief named Reuben Cahan feels that he can write a letter to a New York doctor in which he begs for money. He draws on his Canadian experiences to bolster his credibility, but also displays a literary empathy for others—Gentiles and Americans. The author’s 2007 Saskatchewan Book Award confirms his artistry; now it remains to be determined if there is a current market for his finely calibrated fiction.