Moments of reflection, moments of change. Surprise, discomfort. Tenacious hope. Life-altering grief. Five stories by Elizabeth Bowen, Maryann D'Agincourt, W. Somerset Maugham, and Edith Wharton bring a full spectrum of human experience and emotion together in the second of Portmay Press's collections of art fiction. Each piece in this volume was chosen for the unique way in which the author paints with words and, whether from the perspective of the...

Imagine writing a novel about a man named Jacob Printz who lost his purpose in life. Imagine describing the one constant in Jacob's life, the image of Seated Woman he first viewed as a much younger person, an image he comes back to over and over to make sense of the loves and losses in his life. This is the image by de Kooning that you, as the author, saw in the same museum several years before, an image that intrigues and haunts you, informing your...

This insightful collection of short stories takes the reader on a journey through a diverse array of lives and relationships, from a journalist finding new love after the death of her husband to a schoolgirl, shocked to discover her mother's secrets. D'Agincourt delves, deep into the emotional lives of her characters and sheds light on the mysteries of human decisions and the significance of art and music in our lives.

"Steve Martin's latest novel examines the glamour and the subterfuge of the fine art world in New York City"--Provided by publisher.

A kaleidoscopic tale follows the experiences of seven women models from different historical periods, the artists for whom they sit, the factors that shape the creations of their portraits, and the ties that connect them to each other.

Vermont antique dealer Edie Brown teams up with Uncle Tuck and Kala to investigate the background of an unsettling collage by a famed, reclusive artist known only as Vespa, and uncovers secrets more disturbing than the artwork itself.

A centuries-old bust of an evil, demonic man was stolen from a New Orleans grave. Its current owner shows up at Danni Cafferty's antiques shop, but before Danni can buy the statue, it disappears and the owner is found dead. Michael Quinn, a private investigator, believes that the right thing to do is to find and destroy this object weighted with malevolent powers. He and Danni follow it through sultry nights to hidden places in the French Quarter...

"A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history. Kentucky, 1850. Jarrett, an enslaved groom, and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. As the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young...

Danielle Cafferty and Michael Quinn, occasional partners in solving crime, are quickly drawn into the case of a painting reputed to come to life--and to bring death. They begin to make connections between that summer in Switzerland and this spring in Louisiana. Danni, the owner of an eccentric antiques shop, and Quinn, a private detective, have discovered that they have separate but complementary talents when it comes to investigating unusual situations....