VIDEO: William T. Vollmann's new book 'Last Stories' about love, regret - and ghosts | The Sacramento Bee

William T. Vollmann, the National Book Award-winning novelist-journalist-essayist-moralist who lives in Sacramento, has just published his first fiction in nine years, following a half-dozen nonfiction titles.

His new book, “Last Stories and Other Stories” (Viking, $36, 704 pages), is a collection of 32 ghostly stories set in countries around the world, spanning centuries.

Vollmann always chooses the biggest canvases for his work, and “Last Stories” is no exception. The tales are about much more than “ghosts.” Vollmann explores the realms of longing, love, regret, second chances, avoidance, remembrance, philosophy and religion, and the nature of consequences of being human.

Here’s a brief video of the iconoclastic author talking about “Last Stories.” Look for my interview with Vollmann on the cover of the July 22 Living Here section.