WHY? is about a lonely old man named Mr. Flex, who is always yelling "Why?" and is constantly questioning his circumstances. The story takes place during the summer in a small town, where the townspeople are ambivalent to Mr. Flex's distress. It takes a stranger coming to the neighborhood and befriending Mr. Flex to find out why he is yelling the word. Oswald has come to town to visit his brother, Jarvis. Oswald learns that Mr. Flex is yelling "Why?" because his wife took his children and left town without telling him. Author Bio: L. Steve Carmicle grew up in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, the largest all-black municipality originally settled by former slaves. This is his second book.