In this debut collection of six stories and five mini-fictions, poet and publisher Ron Smith explores the complexities of relationships between men and women. The six longer stories are thoughtful and reflective, mainly from the point of view of an older man looking back over his life, and contemplating his uncertain present and future. The five very short pieces, while sometimes poetic, add little substance, and the book would be stronger without them. Several stories are reminiscent of the late Andre Dubus, whose hard-edged collections, like Separate Flights and Finding a Girl in America, dealt with the mysteries of male-female communication, or lack thereof.

In one of the strongest stories, “Things Not Yet Said,” a middle-aged man can’t find the words to tell his grounded and loving wife that he has been forced to take early retirement from the high school where he teaches music. “The Last Time We Talked” is the tale of a 50-year-old who has committed himself to a detox centre, and contacts a friend he hasn’t seen for 16 years. Meanwhile, his friend has worse problems than he does, yet manages in his own way to handle them.

What do men know about women? “Nothing. We know absolutely nothing,” are the opening lines of the novella-length title story, where four males ranging in age from 9 years old to mid-40s travel by car across the U.S. and Canada, meeting a variety of women, including an officious immigration official, a bar girl, wives, and loved ones. They prove conclusively that the opening lines are accurate. In this story Smith repeatedly alludes to writer Richard Ford as a role model; in many ways however, Smith is a better writer than Ford. His writing is clear and straightforward, uncomplicated by cleverness, unweighted by Ford’s pretentiousness.

These are stories designed for the contemplative reader, and well worth the investment of time and intellect.