Secret Behind the Gate

It takes an exceptionally rich imagination to conceive over two hundred truly distinctive pieces of short fiction. While microscopic in length, Zvi Sesling's tales are macroscopic in their ability to entertain and provoke. You laugh, you cry, and you think . . . really think--no small achievement in such attenuated works. I had several favorites in Secret Behind the Gate, foremost among them, "Nowhere Man," "The Bride Wears Black," and "What We Can Hope For." Indeed, these made me chuckle, tear up, and ultimately ponder the meaning of their message. They all had something of value to convey--maybe none more so than the book's namesake. It's no secret that Zvi is an original raconteur of the highest order, a storyteller par excellence, possessing enormous wit and empathy.

--Michael C. Keith, author Insomnia 11 and Stories in the Key of Me