Fidelities Author:Richard Hall Fourteen insightful tales that adroitly explore many kinds of fidelities: to oneself, to one's companions, to truth. — Although the major characters in many of Hall's stories are gay, he focuses on problems and joys common to all relationships. The best stories in his third collection dramatize painful but sometimes amusing conflicts between fami... more »ly bonds and sexual identity. For example, in "Diamonds Are Forever," a brother and sister battle over the use of an heirloom engagement ring to symbolize a gay or heterosexual union. Other stories indicate a remarkable range of themes and techniques. "Cannibals" is a surreal but compassionate story of death from AIDS; "A Good Deed" is a very funny epistolary crime story with cross-cultural misunderstandings; and "Country People" explores very real prejudices through supernatural means.« less