A collection of rich, powerfully human stories from the author of "The Half-Life "and the movies "Old Joy "("one of the finest American films of the year"--"New York Times") and "Wendy and Lucy."A grieving man embarks on a long-imagined affair in the months following his wife's unexpected death. Two old friends attempt to rediscover their lost bond on a trip to remote mountain hot springs. Two teenagers, trapped in a mall after hours, push each other to new levels of honesty and sexual misconduct.In Jon Raymond's deft, nuanced stories, these and other characters experience the deep longings and sudden insights of life in a modern, middle-sized city--a world of rapidly changing neighborhoods, rising financial pressures, and chance encounters shaped by far-distant forces. Whether kids or carpenters, artists or drifters, all have arrived at a crossroads, seeking what they need to survive and finding what, if necessary, they are willing to live without. With poetic detail and a humane spirit, Livability draws a somber, wryly observed portrait of America now.