"Because the stories are set in the Southwest and Mexico, from about 1920 through 1990, they often hinge on the suspicions, antagonism and ignorance the region's different cultures, races, and classes bear against each other."

"One of the pleasures of reading is discovering a new author, someone who writes with talent and verve and who is able to create some of those truly rare literary moments when the reader is absolutely lost in the richness of a story. So...meet C.W. Smith...whose wonderful new short-story collection, Letters From the Horse Latitudes, is wonderful enough to meet the most exacting reader standards. Smith's ability to climb inside the minds of his characters is exceptional; there are no one-dimensional cutouts to be found. No one is perfect, no one is quite satisfied, no conclusion is the end oif anoything other than some of life's ongoing episodes. And that's that magic here - instead of laboring to force unmistakable important themes on ;his readers, Smith just wants us to climb aboard with his quirky cast of characters and see if we can't learn a little from their experiences." - Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"This is a collection of gems....This book is highly recommended." - Austin American-Statesman.

"The writing in Mr. Smith's collection is strong, not showy, and demonstrates a good eye for original detail. The ability of humans to lose their way has never been much in doubt; the stories in Letters From the Horse Latitudes document that phenomenon convincingly. But just as important, the stories seem to provide some hope that, once lost, we can get our bearings again, and go on to find our way." - Dallas Morning News.

"These stories are a nourishing combination of lively entertainment and abrupt, effective insights into the way we are today." - Houston Post.

"The novelist in Smith makes the characterizations in this, his first published collection of short stories, humane and instantly familiar. Horse Latitudes is billed as a work that wrestles with the issue of race, class, and culture, but the best of the stories track what could be seen as one man's evolution...Vivid and emotionally honest, these stories are a joy to read." - Texas Monthly.

"Set in Mexico and the American Southwest, Mr. Smith's stories have a rugged informality. Their sense of intimacy is so great that the reader feels he has uncovered a cache of personal letters or is overhearing a late-night conversation between friends. And yet, like the stories of O. Henry, each is cleverly contrived to capture some essence of life and also to make a point. Today most O. Henry stories read like antiques, dependent for their effects on credulous readers and illuminated with false optimism. But the world that Mr. Smith dramatizes is both contemporary and convincing." - New York Times. For complete text of NYTBR review go here.

For excerpts and catalogue copy and ordering, visit the TCU Press website: www.prs.tcu.edu/

For ordering Buffalo Nickel (Pocket Books edition), see www.amazon.com