'Black Rabbit & Other Stories' is a debut collection of great intensity and versatility. The stories range from the fantastic to the gritty, from urban dystopias to worlds of dreamlike possibility. Even in their frequent explorations of brutality, the author remains honest and true to the motivations of his characters and the machinations of the worlds in which they find themselves. These are sure-footed narratives that move with a pre-destined deliberation into a universe that is oftenfraught with desperation and apparent hopelessness; but, ultimately, we find ourselves on a path to redemption, an acceptance of what is, in the final analysis, an incomprehensible matrix. Existential and reflective, brutal and honest, these are stories that will leave you questioning the essence of existence, your own humanity, and the humanity of those around you. This is deft storytelling from a talented new voice.

"Difalco is at his strongest when writing about relationships - focusing upon the inherent drama of tight-knit Italian families, couples on the rock, or even corpulent characters' relationships to food and their own bodies. Let's continue to hope he continues to mine the strange lives of his particular brand of disenfranchised heros. In all that roughness, there are diamonds." - Quill & Quire

"These are thoughtful, enigmatic stories drawing the reader in with sharp detail, poetic phrasing and recognizable characters. Though we're dealing with thugs, prostitutes and crack heads, they are all folks you'll feel uncomfortably at home with. That's Difalco's magic: scrape characters from the bottom of society's bowl and reveal them in literary daylight as powerless dreamers, failed mothers, caged creatures." - Front & Centre

Salvatore Difalco was born and raised in Hamilton Ontario where he attended Cathedral High. Graduated with MA in English from U Of T after winning an SSHRC Fellowship. Has worked many jobs including Counsellor at the maximum security Peninsula Youth Centre. He was an editor and regular contributor at Toro Magazine. He is the author of one book of poetry and two collections of short fiction, Mean Season is his first novel. He currently resides in Toronto and works as an Italian translator.

Salvatore Difalco's profile page