J.D. Austin

A young drunk and an old ex-drunk console each other on the city bus. An aging woman recounts the story of her sixty-year marriage as she goes to her deathbed. A distraught young man remembers his dead friends and calls on their spirits for the strength to go on living. Seasonal workers, washed-up athletes, lovers, brothers, friends, and enemies all fight for their identities and their sanity as the modern world seeks to tear them to pieces. In these ten stories, J. D. Austin explores the nuances, pitfalls, failures, and redemptions of men and their families in the Upper Midwest.

 "J. D. Austin's book of short stories, What You Find in the Woods, stands as another proof of his amazing talent. His stories come to the reader as gritty and authentic as real life. Through his broken characters, he imparts age-old wisdom set within the homey and raw landscape of the northern Midwest. These stories take us into the minds of young men and women who live within the purgatory of becoming broken." 
-- Sue Harrison, international bestselling author of The Midwife's Touch

 "These are stories Jack London might have written, if Jack London had been an opiate-addled ex-hockey player. What You Find in the Woods is about how we grieve, and how death surrounds us wherever we are. Throw in a car chase and a couple of beer jags and you have the literary equivalent of gelignite. Austin reminds us of the importance of homemade grilled cheese in nursing homes, of the dangers of the 'day-murdering nap, ' and the fact that nobody's free until the day after they die. These are powerful stories that Hemingway himself would have been proud to have written: they have the same coiled energy as 'The Killers' and 'A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.' What You Find in the Woods does for the Upper Peninsula what Knockemstiff did for Ohio: Jack Austin is a bright, scathing talent." 
-- Sebastian D. G. Knowles, Professor Emeritus of English, The Ohio State University

 "Jack Austin's new short-story collection, What You Find in the Woods, offers a diverse set of tales, some short, some really novellas, that reflect the grittier side of life in Upper Michigan, especially for young millennial men seeking to survive while coping with issues like loneliness, heartbreak, and alcoholism. Austin creates realistic dialogue and even more realistic characters as he delves into the intricacies of the human experience, trying to make sense out of a world where sometimes we are our own worst enemies." 
-- Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD, award-winning author of The Mysteries of Marquette

 "...with his two opening stories plus the powerful titular story set midway-even though poor Jake was a goalie in hockey-Austin scores a 'hat trick' for the book. Well-made and exciting stories. And we will like his characters. He is a good weaver of fiction seasoned with just a touch of humor. I think J. D. Austin is grooming himself for some very fine writing. He is quickly becoming the Yooper's answer to Tom Wolfe. Read him." 
-- Donald M. Hassler, Professor Emeritus of English, Kent State University

 "Although deep personal stresses and anxieties face the characters in these stories, there is an underlying sense of camaraderie and love that suggests hope. This a strong follow-up to the first novel of a promising young author." 
-- Jon C. Stott, author of Paul Bunyan in Michigan

Modern History Press

What You Find in the Woods: and Other Stories

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