Crowsong for the Stricken — Ted Morrissey

Crowsong for the Stricken is a prismatic novel consisting of twelve pieces orbiting the uncanny events in an isolated Midwestern village. Are the events the work of the divine or the demonic? Is there a more human explanation? The answer may depend on the order in which one encounters the various pieces. Among them is the award-winning title story, which was published in an illustrated edition by Flyleaf Journal. Central to the book is the crowlike figure of Plague, who haunts the villagers, especially the children. More than anything, though, it is a village of secrets -- secrets that people keep from each other … and secrets they keep from themselves. The novel is a prime example of the burgeoning literary style known as Midwestern Gothic. Pieces from the novel have appeared in numerous journals, including Southern Humanities Review, the Tulane Review, ink&coda, and Constellations, as well as the anthology Literature Today.