A Simplified Map of the Real World, Stevan Allred
A Simplified Map of the Real World, Stevan Allred
2 Rating(s)
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

A Simplified Map of the Real World
The Renata Stories

Author: Stevan Allred

Narrator: Stevan Allred

Unabridged: 8 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/01/2018

Categories: Fiction, Short Stories

Synopsis

Fifteen linked stories chart a true course through the lives of families, farmers, loggers, former classmates, and the occasional stripper. In the richly imagined town of Renata, Oregon, a man watches his neighbor’s big-screen TV through binoculars, an errant son paints himself silver, mysterious electrical humming emanates from an enormous barn. In A Simplified Map of the Real World, intimate boundaries are loosened by history—and high above the strife and the hope and the often hilarious, geese seek the perfect tailwind. Stevan Allred’s stunning debut deftly navigates the stubborn geography of the human heart.

About Stevan Allred

Stevan Allred lives and writes in a house in the woods halfway between Fisher’s Mill and Viola, in rural Clackamas County, outside of Portland, Oregon. He is the editor of Dixon Ticonderoga, a zine that explores the intimate relationship between divorce and pencils. He teaches writing at the Pinewood Table. Allred has been published in numerous literary journals and websites, and he has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Gail

I spent the last couple days living in the fictional town of Renata, Ore., uttering involuntary guttural sounds in response to the words on the page. “A Simplified Map of the Real World” pulls you between the covers and snugs you there so completely, you’ll forget you are reading stories. This ele......more

Goodreads review by Laurie

Renata is the small town at the center of a county in central Oregon. The fifteen stories set there span several generations; characters show up in more than one story; sometimes we see a story from various perspective. There is a continuity that doesn’t normally occur in short story collections, ev......more

Goodreads review by Emi

This collection of shorts is so cohesive it practically reads like a novel! It's rare to find an author who makes characters of either gender equally intriguing and real, kudos to Stevan Allred and his Pinewood Table for acing that. I loved everything about the town and inhabitants of Renata, their......more

Goodreads review by Peter

Got my paws on an advance copy because I couldn't wait. And it really delivered on all levels. Was easily the best read of the summer. I went at it hard and fast, and then immediately re-read it to soak up the style, bask in the nuances. My expectations were extremely high, having studied with Steva......more

Quotes

“Beautiful and honest…Gorgeously written, A Simplified Map of the Real World will make you wonder why you haven’t been reading Stevan Allred all your life.” Scott Sparling, author of Wire to Wire

“Death and high jinks, love and rage—the ordinary doings of a small town are not so simple. Stevan Allred has clear vision and he’s a loving and joyful teller of tales.” Joanna Rose, author of Little Miss Strange

“A world full of beautiful and messy people living beautiful and messy lives. These stories are great on their own, and even stronger together.” Yuvi Zalkow, author of A Brilliant Novel in the Works

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List