Award-winning poet, Karen Sylvia Rockwell successfully displays her storytelling skills in her first collection of short stories entitled Curious Connections. An array of heart-holding 'relationship' stories, essentially snippets of life vignettes, plunk the reader into thought-provoking situations that elicit laughter and tears alike. Rockwell tackles themes of identity, love, sexuality, survival, and communication with characters ranging in age and life experience. She does so in a way that is creative and accessible. Each story exhibits Rockwell's fine ability to attach a reader to characters that are real - in emotion and action - allowing for a reading experience that is both uplifting and provocative. A poetic voice seamlessly weaves through everyday situations and unique storylines that establish Rockwell as a new force in the short story landscape. Efficient and emotional, Curious Connections is a fervent first collection. Vanessa Shields, Poet, Author of I Am That Woman and Look at Her Curious Connections may well be an answer to 'tell me about life: ' Believable characters in Rockwell's vignettes dance through twists and turns of daily life with ease, elegance, and a wide range of emotions. Plots are briskly moved along by succinct dialogue. The acknowledgements on the last few pages tell the rich story about how Rockwell became the writer she is today. A fitting metaphor, traveling elephants on the cover reflect the movement and settings in the stories, as well as the overall impression Rockwell leaves us with: that daily life is sometimes whimsical, unpredictable, and ever-changing. Jessie Lee Jennings, Poet, NCDH