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The stories in
The Getting Place spring from the places Frank Soos loved best: the coal hills of southwest Virginia, the coves of coastal Maine, and the rivers and tundra around Fairbanks, Alaska. They ask, "Who can know the why of his own life, the why of what he does?" We join his characters when their lives spin beyond their control, when they face unexpected upheavals that change their lives utterly. By turns quirky, heartbreaking, profound, and witty, these brilliant stories open the hidden rooms inside us.
—Peggy Shumaker
About the author
Frank Soos, writer of longish short stories, meditative essays, and flash nonfiction, is the author of
Early Yet, Unified Field Theory (winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award),
Bamboo Fly Rod Suite, and
Unpleasantries: Considerations of Difficult Questions. He served as Alaska’s Writer Laureate from 2014-2016.
One of his many collaborations with visual artist Margo Klass became the book
Double Moon.
Beaver Creek, an artist book construction, combines images and texts inspired by a joint BLM Artist-in-Residency celebrating the Federal Wild and Scenic River Act.
Frank was a much-beloved teacher to all kinds of writers—school kids, adults in his OLLI classes, undergrads just beginning, community writers. Famous for his commitment to their writing, Frank offered his graduate students ample time and attention. They learned from him a fierce work ethic, a devotion to their art, and a generosity to other writers.
He asked of his students what he asked of himself: writing that will "advance the problem," writing that will ask better questions, writing that will interrogate our inarticulate actions.
Summary
The stories in The Getting Place spring from the places Frank Soos loved best: the coal hills of southwest Virginia, the coves of coastal Maine, and the rivers and tundra around Fairbanks, Alaska. They ask, “Who can know the why of his own life, the why of what he does?” We join his characters when their lives spin beyond their control, when they face unexpected upheavals that change their lives utterly. By turns quirky, heartbreaking, profound, and witty, these brilliant stories open the hidden rooms inside us.
—Peggy Shumaker
