In the eleven stories that make up , Paul Headrick takes us on a fascinating journey into the heart of music. From the perfectly honed decrescendo of a symphony’s string section to the down-home chord progressions at a late-night kitchen party, Headrick’s stories question the subtle differences between hearing and listening, and communicating and understanding.

Paul Headrick’s first novel, That Tune Clutches My Heart, was a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Prize—the BC Book Prize for Fiction. The Doctrine of Affections, a short story collection unified by the theme of music, was a finalist for an Alberta Book Award. Stories from that book appeared in The Malahat Review, The Antigonish Review, Event, and The Journey Prize Anthology.

Paul's literary studies took him to Montreal, Toronto, and London, England before he resettled in his hometown of Vancouver. He taught English literature and creative writing at Langara College, as well as giving short story workshops at writers' festivals from Denman Island, BC, to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Paul currently teaches a graduate workshop on novel and memoir writing with Simon Fraser University's Writers' Studio.

Paul Headrick's profile page

• Short-listed, Alberta Trade Fiction Book of the Year