Chicago, IL, July 21, 2026 -- A new edition of Elephants In The Room, a collection of short fiction and essays examining life, love, and the tragedy and comedy of the human condition, has now been published by Speaking Volumes LLC. Elephants In The Room is written by award-winning author Charlene Wexler.

 

Whether she is tackling fiction or essays, Charlene Wexler writes from the heart. With a keen eye for detail and a way of looking at the world a bit sideways, Wexler's writings in Elephants In The Room will entertain while they make you think.

 

See https://tinyurl.com/EITRstoriesessays to arrive at the Amazon.com site for the print edition of Charlene Wexler's Elephants In The Room. For the Kindle edition, go to https://tinyurl.com/EITRKindle.

 

"My readers tell me that my short fiction and essays are particularly fun to read," Wexler said.

 

In Elephants In The Room, Wexler's fiction and essays are grouped in five categories.

 

Coming of Age features essays and fiction about growing up and reaching some of life's milestones--whether you are ready or not.

 

In Family and Friends, you'll meet some of the fun characters in Wexler's life and in her fiction, and inevitably you'll think about similar loved ones in your own world. The story "Elephants In The Room," from which the title of this book is derived, appears in this section.

 

What would life be without our animal pals? Wexler shares some stories about four-footed friends and loved ones in Animal Magnetism.

 

The Passing Parade features Wexler's fiction and prose observations on the changes in our fast-paced world.

 

Senior Moments contains Wexler's wry, humorous, and even serious observations on the mature years.

 

After reading Elephants In The Room, you'll see why Wexler's books and short stories have won multiple awards. Her style makes you feel as if you are reading about or talking to dear friends.

 

Elephants In The Room is a collection of stories that will pluck at your heartstrings and tickle your funnybone.

 

The printed version is on sale via Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The eBook is on sale at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo Books.

 

About the author:

Charlene Wexler is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She has worked as a teacher and dental office bookkeeper and as "a wife, mom, and grandmother," she said. In recent years, Wexler's lifelong passion for writing has led her to create numerous essays as well as fiction.

 

She is the author of the books Lori, Farewell to South Shore, We Won't Go Back, Elephants In The Room, Milk and Oranges, Murder Across the Ocean, and Murder on Skid Row.

 

Her work has appeared in several publications, including North Shore Magazine; the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry's Vision magazine; Alpha Omegan magazine; the book and CD Famous Poets of the Heartland: A Treasury of Beloved Family Poems, Talent, OR: Famous Poets Press, 2014; and the Gazette Chicago newspaper.

 

She also has had essays and fiction published on the websites AuthorsDen.com, Booksie.com, End Your Sleep Deprivation, Laughter Is My Medicine, One Bright Star, and Short-Story.net.

 

She is on Facebook and X. Her website is www.charlenewexler.com.

"I have always used writing as therapy," Wexler said. "Now I have the time and opportunity to pursue it as a career."

 

Her advice for other aspiring writers--even grandmothers like herself--is to "follow your dream. You can do it, and it's never too late."