John Haskell Knihy

Helps learners acquire the skills they need to succeed on the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

Exploring the intersection of art and life, this collection features haunting short stories that delve into the complexities of identity and desire. In "Dream of a Clean Slate," the duality of Jackson Pollock's persona is examined, while "The Judgement of Psycho" intertwines the dynamics of characters from the film Psycho with themes from the Iliad. Orson Welles anchors "Crimes at Midnight," which captures the tension of desire and its repercussions. This debut offers modern mythologies that resonate deeply with contemporary experiences.

American Purgatorio is the story of a happily married man who discovers, as he walks out of a convenience store, that his wife has suddenly vanished. In cool, precise prose, written as both a detective story and a meditation on the seven deadly sins, Haskell tells a story that ranges from the brownstones of New York City to the sandy beaches of Southern California. The novel follows the journey of a man whose object of desire is both heartbreaking and ephemeral, and confirms John Haskell's reputation as "one of those rare authors who makes language seem limitless in its possibilities" ( Los Angeles Times ).