Jerry Levy

Urban Legend, a street-smart and contemporary collection, is comprised of gritty, urban tales about troubled individuals attempting to mitigate loss by searching for their own personal antidote. These city-centric stories encompass a wide variety of cultures, characters from varying social strata, and earnest examinations of how individuals react when forced out of their comfort zone.

In “Paris is a Woman”, we meet a man hoping that by escaping to liberating Paris, he will heal his uncontrollable emotions; however, he soon finds that it is not that easy to run away from your own heart and mind. “The Golem of New York” features personal devastation that leads to utter desperation and fascinating esoteric experimentation. In “Stolen Words”, the protagonist uncovers a trove of unpublished literary works that he hopes will result in fame and stolen fortune. “Phoenix Rising” introduces a deeply-troubled sculptress and a cat that manages to prevent her suicide and subsequently bestow instant noteriety upon her.

Jerry Levy’s smart and clear stories are driven by well-paced action and an inherent gift for capturing the aggressive vigour of people in the midst of serious emotional upheaval. Urban Legend is filled with predominantly tough-minded and arresting prose but Levy’s writing also provides moments of eloquence and grace. His depiction of place is vivid and lends a realism and clarity to the collection. Levy’s relentless pursuit to delve inside the minds of his characters gives these stories a psychologically intense, compelling edge which, in addition to the emotional depth created by the inclusion of a wealth of personal details, raises Levy’s characters from the page and places them firmly in the mind of the reader.