The Pedersen Kid – Alcoholism. Hatred. Self-hatred and transferred anger and hatred. It reads like a Faulkner. Specifically, for this reader, his 1930 published As I lay Dying. One summarises young Gass looked upon this prior work as inspiration for his own, later story. One needs inspiration where they can find it – or the … More In the Heart of the Heart of the Country and Other Stories by William H. Gass: A Book Review