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New Short Story Collection Combines Stirring Plots with Awe-Inspiring Alaskan Wilderness
Action, Emotion of Alaskans Unfolds in Stunning Natural Settings
Bloomington, IN [May 13, 2008]— It is the pristine beauty of the backcountry of Alaska that provides both contrast and complement to the creative storylines in award-winning author Tanyo Ravicz’s new book, Alaskans. The stunning landscapes of this remote and beautiful place serve not only as backdrops for the moving tales in this short story collection, but also as iconic symbols of the human dramas which they depict.
In 10 unforgettable stories, Ravicz portrays a wide range of characters and human struggles. In the novella “A Fox in May,” 13-year-old Jed Hanson, a boy on the cusp of manhood, becomes immersed in the terrors and beauties of the natural world. While a difficult family time forces Jed to confront the emotions of death, birth and loss, he must trap the wild fox that has been preying on his family’s chickens.
Ravicz’s writing in “Caribou, Paxson Lake” is vivid and thought-provoking. An archetypal couple, who remain unnamed, have survived a boating accident during a stormy caribou hunt in the Alaska Range. Here, the fatefulness of time and place contrasts with a sense of the transience and fragility of the human presence on earth.
The short stories, including three that have garnered Pushcart Prize nominations, are unified by their stunning setting: the breathtaking landscapes of Alaska. It is this wilderness that challenges Ravicz’s characters to confront conflicting aspects of themselves. From a firefighter’
Alaskans, released as the state celebrates its 50th anniversary, offers a glimpse into this mysterious natural world, and a reminder of what makes every human life a part of it.
About the Author
Tanyo Ravicz is the author of the prize-winning novel A Man of His Village, a story of a migrant worker’s journey from Mexico to Alaska, and of Ring of Fire, a collection of short fiction set in Alaska. Ravicz grew up in California. He wrote a school report about Alaska at 10 years old, which began his long-standing fascination with the place. After attending Harvard University, Ravicz settled in Alaska for many years. There he worked as a firefighter, a cannery hand and a schoolteacher, and he homesteaded land on Kodiak Island, where he returns every summer. He resides in California with his family. More information is available at www.alaskawriting.com or www.tanyo.net.