Eleven Directions explores what must be one of the world’s quirkiest lessons in orienteering, which perhaps explains how Gilkeson negotiated the real-life experiences that made these stories possible. Questions abound: What’s behind the mystery of his father’s missing uvula? Are these stories real or fictional? Are they memoirs with more than a few embellishments? It hardly matters because they hold the power to entertain and even enlighten us, the way good stories should. The titles of Gilkeson’s narratives by themselves lure us in. Where, exactly, is Topeka on the Danube, and who are the members of The Green Tea Cult? Who are Ms. Transylvania and Mr. Haircut? All of these stories deliver wonderful reading experiences. Gilkeson’s narrative voice creates the illusion that he’s right there with us, enjoying our pleasure in the stories he tells.
~Hal Zina Bennett
The Eleven Directions of Kansas
Edited by Denise Low and Hal Zina Bennett
Published by Tenacity Press
KINDLE VERSION
Available NOW
Click here!
Jim Gilkeson's collection of poetic, whimsical, and poignant essays helps us see our lives anew, whether he's writing about losing dear friends, finding new life in old places, or traveling far to find his way back to a deeper sense of homecoming. The titles themselves are full of humor and intrigue, including "Ms. Transylvania," "The Green Tea Cult," and the title essay, "The Eleven Directions of Kansas." There's also a lot here that speaks to our innate yearnings to create and explore, such as "A secretive child, I caught the sea and smuggled it back to the Midwest, where it remained, a quiet, mysterious giant, hiding in the backyard of my mind." Read this to learn not just what's in the back and front yards of Gilkeson's mind, but what treasures are ripe for exploring in your own mind.
~Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg,
author of The Magic Eye
Eleven Directions explores what must be one of the world’s quirkiest lessons in orienteering, which perhaps explains how Gilkeson negotiated the real-life experiences that made these stories possible. Questions abound: What’s behind the mystery of his father’s missing uvula? Are these stories real or fictional? Are they memoirs with more than a few embellishments? It hardly matters because they hold the power to entertain and even enlighten us, the way good stories should. The titles of Gilkeson’s narratives by themselves lure us in. Where, exactly, is Topeka on the Danube, and who are the members of The Green Tea Cult? Who are Ms. Transylvania and Mr. Haircut? All of these stories deliver wonderful reading experiences. Gilkeson’s narrative voice creates the illusion that he’s right there with us, enjoying our pleasure in the stories he tells.
~Hal Zina Bennett,
author of Write From the Heart
Praise for
Eleven Directions
“What a gem of a book!”
~Priscilla Howe, author of Clever, Kind, Tricky, & Sly
​
​​
“. . . will quench every reader’s thirst for good storytelling.”
~Hal Zina Bennett, author of Write From the Heart
“Both plain-spoken and poetic.”
~Katrina Vandenberg,
author of The Alphabet Not Unlike the World and Atlas: Poems
“Each story is crisp and complete . . . great pleasure!”
~Mary Howe, Ph.D.
​​
​
These well-written memoir-vignettes take the reader on a journey from Kansas to Germany to Scotland and places in between. From funny to poignant to just downright entertaining, each little essay will make you think about life and all the directions it takes you.
~Lindsey Bartlett,
author of Vacant Childhood
