Starting Out

"Starting Out" is a story from the collection White Man's Problems.

In nine stories that move between nouveau riche Los Angeles and the working-class East Coast, Kevin Morris explores the vicissitudes of modern life. Whether looking for creative ways to let off steam after a day in court or enduring chaperone duties on a school field trip to the nation's capital, the heroes of White Man's Problems struggle to navigate the challenges that accompany marriage, family, success, failure, growing up, and getting older.

The themes of these perceptive, wry, and sometimes humorous tales pose philosophical questions about conformity and class, duplicity and decency, and the actions and meaning of an average man's life. Morris' confident debut strikes the perfect balance between comedy and catastrophe—and introduces a virtuosic new voice in American fiction.