Books by Ron Carlson
The Speed of Light
by Ron Carlson
With the long summer ahead, there will be a lot of living, growing, and changing to come for three boys as they approach the struggles of adolescence, in a coming-of-age tale for young adults. Reprint.
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Five Skies
by Ron Carlson
Beloved story writer Ron Carlson's first novel in thirty years, Five Skies is the story of three men gathered high in the Rocky Mountains for a construction project that is to last the summer. Having participated in a spectacular betrayal in Los Angeles, the giant, silent Arthur Key drifts into work as a carpenter in southern Idaho. Here he is hired, along with the shiftless and charming Ronnie Panelli, to build a stunt ramp beside a cavernous void. The two will be led by Darwin Gallegos, the foreman of the local ranch who is filled with a primeval rage at God, at man, at life.
As they endeavor upon this simple, grand project, the three reveal themselves in cautiously resonant, profound ways. And in a voice of striking intimacy and grace, Carlson's novel reveals itself as a story of biblical, almost spiritual force. A bellwether return from one of our greatest craftsmen, Five Skies is sure to be one of the most praised and cherished novels of the year.
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Five Skies
by Ron Carlson
Working together on a summer construction project high in the Rocky Mountains, drifter Arthur Key, shiftless Ronnie Panelli, and foreman Darwin Gallegos reveal details about their pasts and beliefs in cautious and profound ways.
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The Signal: A Novel
by Ron Carlson
"The Signal accelerates like an avalanche...If men can't be brought back to fiction by books as fine as this one, it's their own damn fault."
-The Washington Post
Ron Carlson, author of the critically acclaimed Five Skies, is an award-winning writer beloved by booksellers, reviewers, and readers alike. His most thrilling book to date, The Signal follows the story of Mack and Vonnie, a married couple who, after ten years together, are taking their last hike in the mountains of Wyoming to say goodbye to their relationship and to each other. As the troubled and tragic elements of their past gradually come to light over the course of their journey, Mack keeps a secret: he is tracking a signal, sent via a beacon that has fallen from the sky, that will lead them both into a wood far darker than they have ever imagined.
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The Signal: A Novel
by Ron Carlson
Their relationship troubled, Mack and his wife backpack through the woods of Wyoming to say goodbye, but instead receive a signal from a beacon that has fallen from the sky that leads them to an even darker place.
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A Kind of Flying: Selected Stories
by Ron Carlson
"These stories are full of surprises, jolts, and lightning strikes of recognition. Do yourself a favor and read Ron Carlson." ―Stephen King
Ron Carlson's stories, sometimes wicked or bittersweet, often zany, are rich with a hard-earned hopefulness frequently absent in contemporary fiction. In this generous gathering from collections no longer available, longtime fans and new readers alike can savor the development of a master of idiosyncrasy.
Properly celebrated for his range, Carlson offers us a rural sheriff who's wary of UFOs ("Phenomena"), a lawyer on a mission in remote Alaska ("Blazo"), a baseball player turned killer-by-accident ("Zanduce at Second"), and a nineteen-year-old who experiences an unsettling sexual awakening during an Arizona summer ("Oxygen"). Here also is a man accusing Bigfoot of stealing his wife, followed by Bigfoot's incomparable response. Not least of the treasures is "The H Street Sledding Record," a story perfect for family holiday reading, in which a young father creates the magic of Santa by throwing manure on his roof on Christmas Eve.
This book proves Carlson's axiom that "a short story is not a single thing done a single way," and it offers us―finally―a full view of his remarkable talents.
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Return to Oakpine: A Novel
by Ron Carlson
From a widely admired author, a poignant novel about homecoming, friendship, growing up, and growing old for fans of Richard Ford and Richard Russo
In this finely wrought portrait of western American life, Ron Carlson takes us to the small town of Oakpine, Wyoming, and into the lives of four men trying to make peace with who they are in the world.
In high school, these men were in a band. One of them, Jimmy, left Oakpine for New York City after the tragic death of his brother. A successful novelist, he has returned thirty years later, in 1999—because he is dying.
With Carlson’s characteristic grace, we learn what has become of these friends and the different directions of their lives. Craig and Frank never left; Mason, a top lawyer in Denver, is back in town to fix up and sell his parents’ house. Now that they are reunited, getting the band back together might be the most important thing they can do.
Return to Oakpine is a generous, tender look at friendship, family, and the roads not taken, by a writer at the peak of his craft.
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Return to Oakpine: A Novel
by Ron Carlson
“ [A] moving novel about friendship, forgiveness, and mortality.” —Nancy Pearl, NPR’s Morning Edition
Ron Carlson has always been a critics’ favorite, but Return to Oakpine shows the acclaimed writer at his finest. In this tender and nostalgic portrait of western American life, Carlson tells the story of four middle-aged friends who once played in a band while growing up together in small-town Wyoming. One of them, Jimmy Brand, left for New York City and became an admired novelist. Thirty years later in 1999, he’s returned to die. Craig Ralston and Frank Gunderson never left Oakpine; Mason Kirby, a Denver lawyer, is back on family business. Jimmy’s arrival sends the other men’s dreams and expectations, realized and deferred, whirling to the surface. And now that they are reunited, getting the band back together might be the most essential thing they ever do.
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Tin House: Winter Reading
by Stephen Elliott, Ron Carlson, Anthony Swofford, Kate Christensen, Stuart Dybek, Jim Shepard, Christopher Sorrentino, Antony Doerr, Tara Ison, Shawn Vestal
Tin House: Winter Reading is a beautifully designed periodical featuring the best writers of our time alongside a new generation of talent who are poised to become the most important voices of the future. Content includes short stories, profiles, author interviews, poetry, essays; and unique departments such as "Lost & Found," reviews of overlooked or underated books; and "Blithe Spirits" and "Readable Feast," which present tales and recipes for drinks and food in a literary way.
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Tin House: Winter Reading
by Stephen Elliott, Ron Carlson, Anthony Swofford, Kate Christensen, Stuart Dybek, Jim Shepard, Christopher Sorrentino, Antony Doerr, Tara Ison, Shawn Vestal
Equally acclaimed for its beautiful design and its cutting-edge content, each issue of Tin House features a memorable mix of work by renowned contemporary writers alongside a new generation of talent poised to become important voices of the future. This issue features a wide variety of content: short stories, profiles, author interviews, poetry, essays, along with unique departments such as "Lost & Found," reviews of overlooked or underrated books; and "Blithe Spirits" and "Readable Feast," which present tales and recipes for drinks and food in a literary way. Readers are encouraged to snuggle up with a warm blanket and a bright light, as this winter reading issue takes them down the dark, abandoned corridors of the human condition. Authors Christopher Sorrentino and Benjamin Nugent present fiction both comic and dramatic, while Kate Christensen and Katie Crouch put on readable feasts in the celebrated Tin House tradition.
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Ron Carlson Writes a Story
by Ron Carlson
Ron Carlson has been praised as "a master of the short story" (Booklist). In this essay collection, Ron Carlson Writes a Story, he offers a full range of notes and gives rare insight into a veteran writer's process by inviting the reader to watch over his shoulder as he creates the short story "The Governor's Ball."
"This is a story of a story" he begins, and proceeds to offer practical advice for creating a great story, from the first glimmer of an idea to the final sentence. Carlson urges the writer to refuse the outside distractions―a second cup of coffee, a troll through the dictionary―and attend to the necessity of uncertainty, the pleasures of an unfolding story.
"The Governor's Ball"―included in its entirety―serves as a fascinating illustration of the detailed anatomy of a short story.
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The Blue Box
by Ron Carlson
Ron Carlson is a master of the contemporary short story. In The Blue Box, he extends that mastery to the short short story, offering us a captivating glimpse of a writer at play. With that voice of his—sharp, sensitive, and wry, brimming with good humor—Carlson inhabits one standby after another of the American pop landscape, past and present: monster flicks, action heroes, unsupervised teenagers, blogging. Coming in for special scrutiny is the world of education, in hilarious send-ups of recommendation letters, teacher evaluations, style guides, and a MOOC. Whimsical, wistful, and gently surreal, The Blue Box delights in life’s unending absurdities, and reminds us not to take anything—especially ourselves—too seriously.
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