Wild with Regret

The themes of these 13 beautifully written stories are loss, regret and the quest for happiness in a world threatened by man-made disasters. Petesch's characters are humble yet invincible survivors in decaying towns and cities across America and south of the border. In ""Pillars of Love,'' a Western miner fights to save an ailing buddy during a hellish underground rockslide. ``My Future'' chronicles the remaining days of an Ohio teenager after a nuclear-power plant mishap. In ``The Street,'' a crippled New Orleans beggar gambles all his money for one night with an adored stripper. The stories also contain powerful antiwar messages``I, Constanza'' is dedicated to singer-poet Victor Jara, who was killed by the army during the 1973 coup in Chile. These pieces are brutal, poetic and ultimately reflect a belief in the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. (June)