Alone in Public Places: A collection of short stories and poems

A short story about figuring out how to be yourself. The protagonist perpetually finds himself alone in public places, searching for a voice with which to make awkward conversation. It is a story about longing to be named among brave men, minding your drink placement, and counting the rocks in the concrete pavement. It is a record of a series of moments in the life of a young American, in the 21st century years before the pandemic.