Through quirky plots, one-of-kind characters, and more than a few twists, the stories in Big Bend examine gentle-hearted men and their relationships. From made-in-heaven meetings to troublesome liaisons, Roorbachs characters experience romance in unexpected, sometimes disastrous ways.In Fog, a teenage boy learns hard lessons about canoes, the Gulf of Maine, sex, and love. A struggling young artist goes home for the holidays in search of succor for the stomachand heartwith poor results in Thanksgiving. Other stories recount the ultimately disastrous reunion of estranged friends, an unemployed architects foolish courting with bad company, and a middle-aged rock stars struggle with the urge to settle down. In the tiitle story, Big Bend, a grieving widower, troubled by his own waning years, is tempted by a seductively attentive birdwatcher no older than his daughter.Poignant tales of hauntingly familiar situations, Bill Roorbachs stories are full of heart, romance, edgy humor, and the frequently concealed vulnerability of men.