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North of the Port
For those of us raised in the ports of Superior and Duluth, the stories of Tony Bukoski ring familiar. His settings are firmly our hometowns, his backdrop is the lake.
His characters, too, remind us of home; their lives revolve around family, neighborhood, church and work, much of it generated by the proximity of the Big Lake. For those not from here, familiarity arises from the life situations explored: desires, loneliness, anxieties, family obligations commonly shared and a need for love.
Characters emerge by peeling away layers (or by adding them) rather than in a plot from A to B. In this close neighborhood, lives intermingle; a young man met in one tale appears as a minor character in another. A view from one family in one story changes to their neighbors in the next.
It’s not easy to watch these fractured lives play out, but through them, you will know more about the place where you live and, perhaps, your place in it.
- Konnie LeMay
Twelve Below Zero
This new edition of Tony Bukoski’s first collection of short stories, which adds four tales, comes at a great time to compare it to his latest work. The stories in his newest book (reviewed above) unfold more like a turning kaleidoscope; you must interpret the fractured pieces. His earlier stories, march forward more plainly.
Both books focus on internal desires of love and belonging against external forces thwarting fulfillment. “When it’s twelve below zero, there’s little hope for a friendless man,” Tony writes in the title story.
The well-being of these fictional people depends on finding friends to keep them alive - literally and figuratively - and perhaps no less urgently than Jack London’s short-story character’s need to build a fire.
– Konnie LeMay
Tales of the Road, Highway 61
Cathy Wurzer’s stories about Minnesota’s historic Highway 61 are a real pleasure to explore.
From Pigeon River south to La Crescent, this book tells of significant places, buildings, bridges and the people who made them. It combines history and travel, mixes in nostalgia and is told in the easy-going style that makes Cathy so effective on Morning Edition, MPR, and Almanac (Twin Cities Public TV).
Cathy’s book will spur fond memories for past honeymooners at the Colonial Inn or those who ate at its once-elegant dining room at Little Marais. The inn sits deserted today, but other featured landmarks thrive: Naniboujou Lodge, Lutsen Resort, Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse, the Aerial Lift Bridge and Tobies Restaurant and Bakery in Hinckley.
Images from bygone eras, such as Stickney Store in Schroeder (1929) and Split Rock Trading Post (1960s), liven the book. These vignettes make you want to jump in the car and start driving.
- Bob Berg