Dear Future Occupants

Keith Stahl is a former restaurateur who teaches creative writing at Syracuse University and Writers Voice. He is the author of the poetry collection From the Gunroom. Originally from Litchfield, Connecticut, he lives in Skaneateles, New York.

Part I The Cabbage Comes to a Head The Donner Party The Search for Wade ASkeleton in the Basement The Puzzling Story of Oceanus Mathers Down the Hatch Braggses Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Nasty Nola Draw Me A Brief History of Greenhill-Part 1 The First Congregational Church of Greenhill Part II LAV JAM! The Make Believe Youth Ministry Through the Glass Sister Mr. Bubble A Brief History of Greenhill-Part 2 Dr. Meana Visit Greenhill Child Protective Services Desire's Lament Twirl Osteoarcheology Dear Future Occupants The Good Sa-Mouse-itan Open Mic Nite Dad's Map Deep Fried Not Even a Mouse Part III Mr. Sandwich Ooh That Smell Trying Times The Verdict Dry Signs New Beginnings The Great Escape The Holey Trinity Acting Out Herman Is Risen Hai-ku-ku Risen, Indeed! Epilogue Acknowledgments

"A rollicking, big-hearted family saga that reads like an urgent dispatch from that friend of yours who is manic and funny, has a great eye for the telling detail, and is vitally interested in the way the world works-especially how we move (or don't) toward greater compassion and understanding of other people." - George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo "Wonderful and zany. Stahl, a poet and former restaurateur, writes with such wit and brio and energy. From first page to last, Dear Future Occupants is a pungent delight." - Margot Livesey, author of The Road from Belhaven "Stahl brings the family and its trials to life in brilliant chapters that are tragicomic, made entirely believable and poignant by the author's marvelous ability to write excellent scenes. In this 'colonial gothic' novel, Stahl gives us a portrayal of a place and time that's important not only to this family but to American culture in general." - Brian Bouldrey, author of The Good Pornographer