A prolific writer of fiction and nonfiction and winner of the National Book Award for Europe Central, William T. Vollmann is considered by many to be one of America's most important living writers. Vollmann has written short stories, novels, and essays, and he has contributed to such publications as Esquire, Granta, Harper's, The New Yorker, Playboy, and Spin magazine. As the author of several works of fiction, including Butterfly Stories,...