Four Mormon storytellers wade into the narrative swamp, looking for flashes of light and shadow, story and allegory, doubt and belief—and emerge with tales to tell. Physical objects and details assume an almost holy importance: A bottle of vitamins (Centrum Silver for Women), a jar of peanut butter, a container of ashes, inheritance documents, a flask of wine, plastic soldiers, frozen elk parts, a pair of shorts worn underneath a Sunday dress. “Boss of all bosses of the universe…/ Go ahead, shuffle your zeros tonight./ Dip in ink the comets’ tails./ Staple the night with starlight.” (Charles Simic)

FAE ELLSWORTH, LARRY RIGBY, WHITNEY MOWER, RICHARD TERRY LaPOINTE, PAUL SWENSON