Buddha Wrestles Faust in a Field of Skulls and Other Stories

BUDDHA WRESTLES FAUST IN A FIELD OF SKULLS, and Other Stories delves into the lives of men and women grappling with ghosts of violence, addiction, and trauma. From Minneapolis streets and the north woods to Cheyenne River and Rosebud Reservations, veterans, rivermen, hoboes, a mobster's wife, a police officer, a gang member, and a supernatural katana confront their inner demons in unflinching quests for healing, connection, and a fragile peace in a broken world.

The stories explore how trauma from war, domestic abuse, or systemic violence is passed down and perpetuated. Characters are caught in cycles of rage and self-destruction, and their primary struggle is to break this pattern. The search for atonement is a central driver, manifesting in everything from formal therapy groups ("Werewolves Anonymous") to rituals like the Sundance, where characters physically tear their past from their flesh.

The characters find no solace in a single dogma. Instead, they create a unique spiritual blend to survive. Lakota ceremonies are fused with 12-step principles, Christian prayers are recited during yoga, and street-level philosophy is treated with the same reverence as ancient scripture. The Mississippi River serves as a recurring motif, a space of both danger and purification, while animal spirits and sentient human-made objects serve as guides and omens, bridging the mundane and the magical.

The collection is a deep interrogation of modern masculinity. The characters' violence is often rooted in shame, powerlessness, and an inability to process emotional wounds, particularly the hidden trauma of male rape ("Chorus of Stones"). Their journey is not just about sobriety but about deconstructing a toxic identity and rebuilding a version of manhood that allows for vulnerability, community, and service without sacrificing strength.