Water

One afternoon, as I re-read these notes, trying to figure out how they might fit together to make a story, I thought of Amy, and wondered what her objections might be.

'Yes, love is present in small details, but not the details you have shown. Love is a splinter pulled from a wound, a glass of water fetched in the middle of the night. It isn't there in a gaze or kiss. And what about this other one - is it necessary to drown? Shouldn't the lover be able to breathe? - from 'Small Details'.

Water is a collection of short stories, all based around a theme of water. The book covers a wide range of settings, people and genres, all held together through a central metaphor: that the boundary between not loving and loving is like the boundary between water and air.

REVIEWS

The reviews were mostly very kind, though the Wairarapa Times-Age said I should keep my day job (as a news reporter), one changed my gender, and one changed my sexual orientation. Is there something about myself I don't know?

'My favourite short stories are those that take a supposedly ordinary situation and attack it from a new angle, leaving you viewing the situation - and the world - in a different sense. Steeds is a master at this.' - Michael Larsen, New Zealand Herald, 2002. Read the full review on the Herald website.

'This is a brave collection that is characterised by a remarkable range and maturity. - Rebecca J Davies, New Zealand Books, 2003. More >>

'The stories in this collection show sensitivity, wisdom and a deft touch... There isn't a dud story here.' - Nicola Salmond, Dominion Post, 2002. More >>

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