Stella Maris

And Other Key West Stories

By: Michael Carroll

Narrated by: Michael Carroll

When Cuban fisherman first spotted the Key West lighthouse floating in Florida waters, they called her Stella Maris, Star of the Sea. It’s a beacon that draws people from everywhere seeking the end-of-the-line bohemian oasis that can still be found amidst the condo share towers, chain stores, and Redneck Riviera clientele. And it’s a mecca for gay men and the women who love them. Sue Kaufman Prize-winning author Michael Carroll knows the territory intimately. His stories wind in and out of the bars and guesthouses and lives of this singular paradise: a memorial for a drag queen held at the vicar’s Victorian leads to uneasy encounters; two southern sisters on a cruise ship holiday are up against the ravages of alcohol, estrangement, and deadly weather. Newly divorced gay men (already a phenomenon) lick their wounds and bask in the island’s lasting social twilight. At the all-male, clothing-optional resort, guys of all ages fall into one another’s paths, enjoy themselves as they please, and surprise one another on their views and preconceptions.

Stella Maris is about the verities of illness and death. The past and its prisoners, AIDS, the young and not so young man’s realization of his own mortality. It’s about the unpredictable nature of life, and of survival. It’s about new beginnings and final recognitions.

©2019 Michael Carroll (P)2021 Audible, Inc.

Stellar Novel

Michael Carrol is an exceptional writer of gay short fiction. He captures the queer community of Key West, inhabited by a range of interesting characters. I listened to the title story twice and the final story and learned more on the second listen. I recommend this collection and I look forward to more.

Excellent collection, excellent audio performance

STELLA MARIS is a highly original, gritty, sexy, character-fueled short story collection. Michael Carroll sings on the page. He also performs the audio recording, and in that he sings the longing and lust and gristle and smoke and wit and anger and love and pain right into your ear. He's an original, and I can't wait for what he does next.