Knockemstiff Pdf
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Knockemstiff
"More engaging than any new fiction in years." —Chuck Palahniuk An unforgettable work of fiction that peers into the soul of a tough Midwestern American town to reveal the sad, stunted but resilient lives of its residents. Knockemstiff is a genuine entry into the literature of place. Spanning a period from the mid-sixties to the late nineties, the linked stories that comprise Knockemstiff feature a cast of recurring characters who are irresistibly, undeniably real. A father pumps his son full of steroids so he can vicariously relive his days as a perpetual runner-up body builder. A psychotic rural recluse comes upon two siblings committing incest and feels compelled to take action. Donald Ray Pollock presents his characters and the sordid goings-on with a stern intelligence, a bracing absence of value judgments, and a refreshingly dark sense of bottom-dog humor.
Every River on Earth
Author: Neil Carpathios
language: en
Publisher: Ohio University Press
Release Date: 2015-01-01
Every River on Earth: Writing from Appalachian Ohio includes some of the best regional poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction from forty contemporary writers, both established and up-and-coming. The wide range of material from authors such as David Baker, Don Bogen, Michelle Burke, Richard Hague, Donald Ray Pollock, and others, offers the reader a window into daily life in the region. The people, the landscape, the struggles, and the deepest undercurrents of what it means to be from and of a place are revealed in these original, deeply moving, and sometimes shocking pieces. The book is divided into four sections: Family & Folks, The Land, The Grind, and Home & Away, each of which explores a different aspect of the place that these authors call home. The sections work together beautifully to capture what it means to live, to love, and to die in this particular slice of Appalachia. The writing is accessible and often emotionally raw; Every River on Earth invites all types of readers and conveys a profound appreciation of the region’s character. The authors also offer personal statements about their writing, allowing the reader an intimate insight into their processes, aesthetics, and inspirations. What is it to be an Appalachian? What is it to be an Appalachian in Ohio? This book vividly paints that picture. Every River on Earth David Lee Garrison I look out the window and see through the neighbor’s window to an Amish buggy where three children are peeping back, and in their eyes I see the darkness of plowed earth hiding seed. Wind pokes the land in winter, trying to waken it, and in the melting snow I see rainbows and in them every river on earth. I see all the way to the ocean, where sand and stones embrace each falling wave and reach back to gather it in.
What You Find in the Woods
A young drunk and an old ex-drunk console each other on the city bus. An aging woman recounts the story of her sixty-year marriage as she goes to her deathbed. A distraught young man remembers his dead friends and calls on their spirits for the strength to go on living. Seasonal workers, washed-up athletes, lovers, brothers, friends, and enemies all fight for their identities and their sanity as the modern world seeks to tear them to pieces. In these ten stories, J. D. Austin explores the nuances, pitfalls, failures, and redemptions of men and their families in the Upper Midwest. "J. D. Austin's book of short stories, What You Find in the Woods, stands as another proof of his amazing talent. His stories come to the reader as gritty and authentic as real life. Through his broken characters, he imparts age-old wisdom set within the homey and raw landscape of the northern Midwest. These stories take us into the minds of young men and women who live within the purgatory of becoming broken." - Sue Harrison, international bestselling author of The Midwife's Touch "These are stories Jack London might have written, if Jack London had been an opiate-addled ex-hockey player. What You Find in the Woods is about how we grieve, and how death surrounds us wherever we are. Throw in a car chase and a couple of beer jags and you have the literary equivalent of gelignite. Austin reminds us of the importance of homemade grilled cheese in nursing homes, of the dangers of the 'day-murdering nap, ' and the fact that nobody's free until the day after they die. These are powerful stories that Hemingway himself would have been proud to have written: they have the same coiled energy as 'The Killers' and 'A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.' What You Find in the Woods does for the Upper Peninsula what Knockemstiff did for Ohio: Jack Austin is a bright, scathing talent." - Sebastian D. G. Knowles, Professor Emeritus of English, The Ohio State University "Jack Austin's new short-story collection, What You Find in the Woods, offers a diverse set of tales, some short, some really novel¬las, that reflect the grittier side of life in Upper Michigan, especially for young millennial men seeking to survive while coping with issues like loneliness, heartbreak, and alcoholism. Austin creates realistic dialogue and even more realistic characters as he delves into the intricacies of the human experience, trying to make sense out of a world where sometimes we are our own worst enemies." - Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD, award-winning author of The Mysteries of Marquette "...with his two opening stories plus the powerful titular story set midway-even though poor Jake was a goalie in hockey-Austin scores a 'hat trick' for the book. Well-made and exciting stories. And we will like his characters. He is a good weaver of fiction seasoned with just a touch of humor. I think J. D. Austin is grooming himself for some very fine writing. He is quickly becoming the Yooper's answer to Tom Wolfe. Read him." - Donald M. Hassler, Professor Emeritus of English, Kent State University "Although deep personal stresses and anxieties face the characters in these stories, there is an underlying sense of camaraderie and love that suggests hope. This a strong follow-up to the first novel of a promising young author." - Jon C. Stott, author of Paul Bunyan in Michigan Learn more at jdaustinstories.com