Russell Banks' American Spirits Short-Story Collection

American Spirits is a new short-story collection by Russell Banks, inspired by gossip he heard living in Keene, New York. The stories are set in a fictional small town in upstate New York, focusing on the struggles of the locals and their interactions with developers and summer visitors. The characters find some solace in politics, and the collection explores themes of frustration, powerlessness, and the widening gap between the rich and the poor.