Fiction
John F. Duffy
A native of Chicago and current resident of Bloomington, Ind., John F. Duffy spent his twenties and thirties exploring America, and his travels now greatly inform his writing. His short fiction has earned him a Pushcart Nomination, and his debut novel, A Ballroom for Ghost Dancing, was a National Indie Excellence Award finalist and a Gold Medal winner for Best Midwest Fiction from the Independent Publishers Book Award. His second novel, Where When it Rains, will be available in December 2024 from Picket Fire Press.
2024 Fiction Shortlist: A Ballroom for Ghost Dancing
A year after losing his brother, Adam’s best friend and former bandmate, Mark, invites him on a cross-country road trip hoping to rejuvenate his passion for living. Along the way, secrets between the men come unearthed, and external circumstances start a ticking clock. Set in the stoic expanse of the American heartland, A Ballroom for Ghost Dancing is a story both hilarious and heartbreaking about the value of friendship in the face of loss, and the hidden tragedies that we all have awaiting us. whether we are ready to confront them or not.
