Presence

Presence gathers six short stories by Arthur Miller, the playwright behind Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, written before his death in 2005. The collection moves between intimate, personal scenes and stranger, more allegorical material.

In "Bulldog," a young teenager has a first sexual experience that takes him by surprise. The title story follows a man who meets a woman he has just watched making love on a beach. "Beavers" is a haunting tale that deals with nature, creation and destruction, while "Performance" imagines a Jewish tap dancer who holds Hitler spellbound.

The last two stories turn to the creative life and to ageing. In "The Bare Manuscript," a writer resorts to unusual methods to win back his muse. "The Turpentine Still" is a portrait of a man looking hard at what he will leave behind.