My Chaos Theory: Stories

by Stephen H. Watkins

Steve Watkins's fiction debut consists of twelve quirky stories featuring men and boys at critical junctures in their lives. The choices they make to solve their problems sometimes make matters worse.
In "Critterworld," three brainy kids plot to murder a captive elephant at a roadside zoo in Florida. In "A Jelly of Light," an angry dad in South Georgia takes his daughter's boyfriend up in a small plane to torture him by doing aerobatics. In "Kafka's Sister," a failed American social activist seeks enlightenment in an ashram in India, and nearly kills himself by fasting and giving his food to a pair of starving children who end up stealing from him. And in "Bocky Bocky," a widower finds a drowned man washed up on a beach at Fire Island and folds the dead man's body into a yoga pose.

195 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Steve Watkins, Associate Professor of English, earned a Ph.D. (1990) and an M.A. (1985) in English, and a B.A. (1977) in psychology, all from Florida State University. An award‑winning author and journalist, Dr. Watkins teaches courses in journalism, creative writing, and 20th‑century American literature. His non‑fiction book, The Black O: Racism and Redemption in an American Corporate Empire,was published by the University of Georgia Press in 1997 and won the Virginia College Stores Award for Best Book by a Virginia Author. Dr. Watkins had his first fiction book, My Chaos Theory, published in 2006. An earlier version of the collection of short stories was a finalist for the prestigious Flannery O’Conner Award for Short Fiction. In 1992, he won a Pushcart Prize for his story "Critterworld," which appeared in the Pushcart Anthology, published by W.W. Norton. In 1991, he won first prize in the Snake Nation Review short fiction contest. His fiction also has been recognized in Best American Short Stories of 1987 and was runner‑up in Playboy Magazine's 1985 College Fiction Contest. In addition, Dr. Watkins has published more than two dozen works of fiction and poetry in such magazines as the Mississippi Review, Apalachee Quarterly, Sequoia,and the Denver Quarterly. The recipient of both first place and Silver Awards for feature writing from the Florida Magazine Association, he has more than 15 years of experience in newspaper and magazine writing, editing, layout, and design. He has published non‑fiction articles in a number of magazines including the L.A. Weekly, The Perot Periodical, Poets and Writers, and The Nation. Dr. Watkins, who also serves as adviser to the University’s award‑winning weekly student newspaper, The Bullet, teaches Ashtanga yoga at a local YMCA and volunteers as an investigator and advocate for abused and neglected children through CASA, a national child advocacy organization.

Reviews

[Jennifer Navarrete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories I LOVED while others I just liked. I think I was ruined by hearing the author read the first story aloud. I wanted his voice for the rest. He says he has a new novel coming out next year, and I will definitely read it. Steve Watkins is definitely a very *thinking* man.

[FSU Alumni]

Stephen H. Watkins (B.A. '77, M.A. '85, Ph.D. '90)