Birth, death and all the big moments in between. Shortlisted for the 2012 Danuta Gleed Literary Award These stories about artists, lovers, brothers and strangers acutely probe love and loss, men and women together, and the family ties that bind. A father renews an old artistic rivalry with his dying son; a raucous family gathering ends in tragedy; a quick stop to pick up a hitchhiker begins a chain of events that changes a man’s life. Griffin covers birth, death and all the big moments in between. Dark and yet uplifting, these stories take us to the heart of what matters in the tangled lives of people on the edge of crisis. Advance Praise for Stopping for Strangers: "This fine fine collection evokes echoes of the plain and piercing voice of Raymond Carver. These stories upended me: they are strong, surprising and full of heart. The size of the soul looms large in Daniel Griffin’s writing." — David Bergen "Griffin’s at his best when he explores the intricacies and heartaches of family relationship and crisis. Here, in Stopping for Strangers, I believe we’re witnessing the emergence of a future master. " —Gail Dargatz Anderson