Between Here and the Yellow Sea
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4.5 • 15 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
A debut collection of short fiction from this 'National Magazine Award in Fiction' finalist. Set in a variety of Southern and Midwestern landscapes — from Missouri’s Ha Ha Tonka State Park to a crop circle at a Minnesotan farm — the stories in 'Between Here and the Yellow Sea' excavate the ambiguous terrain of the human heart. With a forceful and compassionate voice, Pizzolatto finds beauty in loneliness as his characters attempt to bridge the gulfs between themselves and others, past and present, and, sometimes, between their inner and outer selves. In this both heartbreaking and humorous collection, we meet a base-jumping, samurai park ranger who parachutes off the St. Louis Arch; a stained glass artist who struggles over his masterpiece and learns through great loss what his true subject will be; and a religious elementary school teacher who tries to understand her rebellious, militant son. In the title story, which first appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, an orphaned young man and his former high school football coach set out to kidnap the coach’s daughter from Los Angeles and bring her back to east Texas.With an assured, poignant voice, Pizzolatto places us at the crossroads of memory and desire, somewhere between here and the Yellow Sea.
About the Author: Nic Pizzolatto was born in New Orleans and raised on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast. He has published stories in the 'Atlantic Monthly', the 'Missouri Review', 'Shenandoah', the 'Iowa Review', and other literary journals and was a finalist for the 2004 National Magazine Award in Fiction. He is currently a visiting writer at the University of North Carolina and is at work on his first novel.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Reader Heyborne brings just the right amount of vocal tidings to this debut story collection, originally published in 2005, by True Detective creator Pizzolatto. The author's storytelling has a lyrical truth to it and touches on themes of loss, loneliness, and alienation, whether it be a mother searching for a missing and deeply troubled son ("A Cryptograph"), a park ranger who uses base jumping to work through his addiction and physical pain ("Ghost Birds"), or a young son discovering that his father is all too human ("1987, the Races"). Heyborne uses a straightforward, low-key delivery in his narration that fits well with the author's reflective tone. His reading brings an almost dreamlike melancholia to these tales, elevating their emotional content and drawing the listener deep into the lives of these characters and their world. A Dzanc paperback.
Customer Reviews
Haunting
These short stories, by the author of Galveston and the HBO series True detective, are sharply rendered and heartbreaking. Compelling enough to make you yearn for more and haunting enough to stay with you long after you've finished reading.
Between Here and the Yellow Sea
An extravagant series of pieces by one of the most intellectually inspirational authors of the modern age. Anyone who is a fan of True Detective and its unique narrative ought to try this one out, it will give you a new insight into Pizzolatto's areas of interest and style. 11/10