Rick Bragg. Tim Gautreaux. William Gay. Fannie Flagg. Diane McWhorter. Charles Simic. Daniel Wallace. Steve Yarbrough. These are just a handful of the acclaimed writers whose work has appeared in the Stories from the Blue Moon Café series since its 2002 inception. Now, in Cast of Characters and Other Stories, the fifth installment of the series, Sonny Brewer has selected a new crop of fiction promising to satisfy even the most discerning of tastes. This dynamic collection of fourteen short stories is a must-read, offering the best in contemporary Southern writing and a glimpse into the future of Southern literature. Includes: Coppers : 1939 by Howard Bahr Five and riding shotgun by Stuart Bloodworth A cast of characters by Rick Bragg A man by Pia Z. Ehrhardt The safety man by Tom Franklin Where will you go when your skin cannot contain you? by William Gay Push by L.A. Hoffer New York City marathon by Frank Turner Hollon My sestina, his sestina by Chip Livingston Holiday by Thomas McGuane Your body is changing by Jack Pendarvis Their ancient, glittering eyes by Ron Rash Hattiesburg, Mississippi by James Whorton Jr. When Jesus lost his head by Karen Spears Zacharias