Best known for his glorious comic novelsâincluding the American classic True GritâCharles Portis was also a prolific essayist, travel writer, and newspaper reporter. Now, for the first time, these writingsâjournalism, short fiction,
memoir, travel stories, and even a playâhave been brought together in Escape Velocity: A Charles Portis Miscellany. The collection encompasses the breadth of Portisâs fifty-year writing career, covering topics as varied as road tripping in Baja,
Elvisâs visits to his aging mother, and his own boyhood in Arkansas. Also included in Escape Velocity are Portisâs three-act play Delrayâs New Moon, âDamn!â a rare short story from 1957, and tributes by Donna Tartt, Wells Tower, Ron Rosenbaum,
Ed Park, and Roy Blount Jr. While fans of Charles Portisâs sly and distinctive humor, quirky characters, and keen ear for detail will be thrilled at this new addition to their libraries, Escape Velocity will also serve as an essential introduction to those not yet familiar with his work.