Powerful and haunting, the ten stories of this debut collection imagine a world where dreams and reality merge, often with dangerous consequences. Michael Hyde explores the relationships between illusion and reality, delusion and clarity, as his characters come to realize that the revelations they wholeheartedly pursue are often not the ones that await them and will move them. A teenage girl obsessed with the death of a classmate hopes to become the killer's next victim, a wayward graveyard attendant punishes the dead for his punishments in life, and a ghostly vision in a garden shed offers a catalyst for one woman's change. "Michael Hyde’s stories are strangely satisfying and satisfyingly strange. They combine the gothic sensibility of Flannery O’Connor and the restrained prose of Raymond Carver. These are tales of love-in-extremis. They should be taken as a tonic before bedtime, to stir up our dreams and awaken our compassion."—Sharon Oard Warner, judge, author of Learning to Dance and Deep in the Heart

The Hayden Controversy was one of the most bitter feuds in Baptist history. In the nineteenth century, Protestant denominations in Texas endured difficult transitions from a loosely organized frontier people to a more cooperative and organized body capable of meeting the needs of growing denominations. The Methodists, Churches of Christ, and Baptists all endured major splits before their survival was certain. Of all the Protestant bodies, however, the Hayden Controversy was the fiercest and most widespread, with repercussions that continue to affect current Baptist life. Joseph E. Early, Jr., tells the story of how one man, Samuel Augustus Hayden, almost destroyed the newly organized Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) before it could take root. In the final decades of the nineteenth century, Hayden caused such unrest among Texas Baptists that after a failed attempt to take over the BGCT, he was expelled from the state body. In turn, he created a rival organization, the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA), which continued to fight perceived oppression by the BGCT. While trying to take over the BGCT, Hayden, through his newspaper, accused his enemies of embezzlement, heresy, arson, and strong-arm tactics. Haydens high-profile opponents included some of the most powerful and well-known …

Concert performed at UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center, Winspear Hall.

Harp ensemble recital performed at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall.

Concert performed at UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center, Winspear Hall.

Concert performed at UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center, Winspear Performance Hall.

Concert performed at UNT College of Music Recital Hall.

Recital, featuring classical percussion ensembles, performed at the UNT College of Music Concert Hall

A jazz recital performed at the UNT College of Music Stan Kenton Hall.

Orchestral concert performed at the UNT College of Music Concert Hall.

Tuba and Euphonium Ensembles Recital performed at the UNT College of Music Concert Hall

Concern performed at UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center, Winspear Hall.

Concert performed at UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center, Winspear Hall.

Concert performed at UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center, Winspear Hall.

UNT Recital Choir performance at the UNT College of Music Concert Hall

A faculty and guest artist recital performed at the UNT College of Music Kenton Hall.

Jazz vocals concert performed at the UNT College of Music Kenton Hall.

A senior recital presented at the UNT College of Music Organ Recital Hall.

Concert performed at UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center, Winspear Hall.

Neosonus concert performed at the UNT College of Music Voertman Hall.