Joseph Epstein 
Frozen in Time 
Twenty Stories

The estimable Joseph Epsteinessayist, past editor of The American Scholar, and recipient of the 2003 National Humanities Medal along with Hal Holbrook and John Updikebrings together twenty short stories in his first such collection since 2010. Most, though not all, of the stories are set in Epstein’s hometown of Chicago, but otherwise they have a variety of subjects: among the titles are Dads Gay, The Casanova of La Salle Street, JDate, Adultery, Widows Pique, Race Relations, The Man on Whom Everything Was Lost, My Five Husbands, and Second Family. Most are stories about family and friendships.