I ordered this book thinking its short stories would be about Lithuania by a visitor, perhaps. Instead, the stories, while quite well written, are about the author's experiences in Baltimore, where some Lithuanians happen to cross paths, peripherally, with the author, and about his interactions with Arabs, here and in Africa -- which stories have a decided (I think) homosexual bent. Readers hoping for a travelogue about Lithuania are sure to be disappointed, if not annoyed, and might well ask for a refund.

In the mid-1970s, Jean-Luc and his wife Irène are living in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Jean-Luc teaches. Finding a lack in their relationship, each begins an affair, and eventually their respective girlfriends (Chantal and Mouse) move into the large house with them. The initial tensions and aggravations eventually give way to a sort of bonhomie as the four non-Americans plan and give a large party. It's an intriguing novel about foreigners in America, whose third part shines with Porter's writing. The earlier portions of the book, however, contain awkward dialogue and a torpid story which almost swallows the characters whole. "Resident Aliens" is a challenging book about the maturation of love between these four people.

I'm a bit of a '70s nut, so I enjoyed this tale of ex-patriate academics in the sexually progressive decade. A story of four lives that sort of touch-and-go. Give it a try; at least you won't be reading something that everyone else has.

This new collection features ten stories of idiosyncratic characters in exotic locales, from Alaska to Tunisia. Porter weaves interesting observations about life into the eloquent and sometimes lackluster tales that fill this collection. His opaque style defies the reader to connect with the characters, but luckily in the final two stories ("Scrupulous Amédée" and "Touch Wood") the clouds part and the reader is invited into a cozy space. "Touch Wood : Short Stories" is a well-written short story collection that may not gain a wide audience, but for those who do connect with it, there is much to appreciate and upon which to reflect.