Best known for his glorious comic novelsāincluding the American classic True GritāCharles Portis was also a prolific essayist, travel writer, and newspaper reporter. Now, for the first time, these writingsājournalism, short fiction,
memoir, travel stories, and even a playāhave been brought together in Escape Velocity: A Charles Portis Miscellany. The collection encompasses the breadth of Portisās fifty-year writing career, covering topics as varied as road tripping in Baja,
Elvisās visits to his aging mother, and his own boyhood in Arkansas. Also included in Escape Velocity are Portisās three-act play Delrayās New Moon, āDamn!ā 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 Portisās 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.