A Bricklayer's Tales: A Collection of Short Stories and memoirs

A Bricklayer’s Tales: A Collection of Short Stories and Memoirsby Gary Troia is a raw, darkly humorous exploration of working-class struggles, self-destruction, and creative frustration. Told through the eyes of Ray Dennis—Troia’s disillusioned alter ego—these gritty, unflinching stories dive into the realities of depression, alcoholism, drug use, and the suffocating monotony of low-paid labour.From bleak construction sites to psychedelic escapes, each tale captures the highs and lows of a man trapped between artistic ambition and brutal wage slavery. Whether facing deportation inReturn Ticket, tripping through philosophical hallucinations inAngel Dust, or drowning his dreams in cheap booze inA Bricklayer’s Tale, Ray’s journey is equal parts tragic, absurd, and painfully relatable.With the biting wit of Charles Bukowski and the raw realism of working-class fiction,A Bricklayer’s Talesis a must-read for anyone who has ever felt stuck in a soul-crushing job, wrestled with addiction, or longed for something more.Brutally honest. Darkly funny. Deeply human.Perfect for fans of outsider literature, underground fiction, and Bukowski-style storytelling.Read more