Tom Spanbauer is a novelist who explores themes of race, sexual identity, and how we forge families to overcome the limitations of those into which we are born. His distinctive style marries fresh, lyrical prose with solid storytelling. As a teacher, his innovative approach blends close attention to language with a generous openness to the 'sore place' within each of us—the source for stories only we can tell. The writing community that has formed around him champions the idea that "Fiction is the lie that tells the truth truer."
Completely multilingual internationally focused magazine of fiction, poems, essays, reasoned rants, journalism, cartoons/comics, & photography. Of course, Portland, Oregon based. Each piece appears in 2 to 5 languages, incl. cartoons/comics. This issue features work from US, Danish, Morrocan, Spanish, Albanian, Lithuanian, Iranian, Russian, Austrian & Argentine writers.
Tom Spanbauer is one of the most enchanting writers in America today, and In the City of Shy Hunters, his first novel in ten years, is a "rich and colorful" portrait of New York in the 1980s, told with "raw power" (David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle). Shy, afflicted with a stutter, and struggling with his sexuality, Will Parker comes to New York to escape the provincial western towns where he grew up. In New York, he finds himself surrounded for the first time by people who understand and celebrate his quirks and flaws. He also begins an unforgettable love affair with a volatile, six-foot-five African-American drag queen and performance artist named Rose. But even as he is falling in love with Rose and growing into himself, Will must watch as AIDS escalates from a rumor into a devastating tragedy. When a vicious riot erupts in a local park, Will seizes the chance to repay the city for all it has taught him, in a climax that will leave readers shaken, fulfilled, and changed.
The story follows Shed, a half-Indian bisexual boy living in Excellent, Idaho, at the turn of the century, where he works at the town's brothel, the Indian Head Hotel. As he navigates life with his eccentric coworkers, Shed grapples with his identity and the meaning of his Indian name, Duivichi-un-Dua, given by his murdered mother. His journey across the plains leads to encounters with remarkable characters and a deeper understanding of his heritage, culminating in a return home that brings painful revelations and wisdom.