Camera Lake

“Camera Lake is such a powerful read. Pickett writes relevant, risk-tinged fiction that’s deft with humor and heart. These stories are fresh in form and content—and they will grip you with their fully imagined characters, these flawed Americans who have made the beds they lie in with open eyes.”—Alyson Hagy, author of Scribe

“It’s not often I devour an entire book of stories in one night, but I couldn’t get enough of these. Camera Lake is the rare collection that is both hilarious and heartfelt, both literary and approachable. The reason for this is simple: Pickett truly loves his characters—their quirks, their loneliness, their smiles—and this makes all the difference. In a world full of depressing headlines, these stories made me happy. This is stellar stuff. A debut worth calling your friends about!”—M. O. Walsh, New York Times bestselling author of My Sunshine Away and The Big Door Prize

“If the Coen Brothers had adapted a collection of Raymond Carver stories into a funny and disquieting film, I imagine it would feel a lot like reading Alex Pickett’s Camera Lake. This is a book you see in your head as much as you read it. The characters instantly spring off the page as they attempt to navigate myriad disappointments, tragedies, mistakes, and even the occasional minor triumph. I haven’t been able to get them out of my mind.”—Steven Hyden, author of the bestselling Twilight Of The Gods and There Was Nothing You Could Do