Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, (2010). SIGNED first edition - The author's first novel, about a young priest who struggles to reconcile his faith with longings of the flesh. "James Dressler, a Catholic working-class kid from St. Paul, Minn., with a barroom brawler father and a 'piece of work' mother, sees the Catholic Church as both his salvation and his moral compass. Following his ordination, James gets assigned to Saint Hieronymus Church in Pretty Prairie, Minn., alongside his friend and cynical, skirt-chasing fellow priest, Mick. James joins a poker group run by fellow priests, and the internecine conflicts and accommodations within the clergy are artfully depicted, as are James's efforts to square his earthly cravings with his priestly station - he's basically a regular guy who loves sports and drinking, and yearns for female companionship." (PW, which named it one of the best books of 2010) SIGNED on the title page and dated in the year of publication. Winner of the 2011 Minnesota Book Award. 410 pp.