Human Being Songs

Northern Stories

Anderson Jean

The public image of Alaska for those who live elsewhere tends to be bound up with the outdoors. But while that's not necessarily false, it's a far from complete picture. This collection of stories shows us what we're missing: set in Alaska's cities and suburbs, homes and back roads, cars and kitchens and bedrooms, it offers not tales of adventures, but quietly powerful psychological dramas, introspective explorations of the private triumphs and failures of personal life played out in an extraordinary place. Jean Anderson delicately balances the lyrical and the experimental to tell the stories of hardworking Alaskans – teachers, laborers, dental hygienists, artists – worrying over fairness and equity and meaning, falling in and out of love, and pondering elusive, long-dreamed-of goals. Powered by a rich empathy, "Human Being Songs" shows us life in Alaska as it's actually lived today – its successes, failures, and moments of transcendent beauty.

About the Author

Jean Anderson is the author of In Extremis and Other Alaskan Stories and coeditor of Inroads, an anthology of regional Alaska fiction.

Reviews

"Excellent collection" – Marge Piercy

"Stories that brilliantly reveal the inner lives of people we thought we knew, in a northern landscape Anderson skillfully renders as both exotic and familiar. With compelling narration, she draws us into worlds where women confront their individuality, asking universal questions as they delve into memories, cope with families and widowhood, buoyed and sometimes undone by the power of love. These are lyrical excursions into the depths of the human heart and psyche" – Carole L. Glickfeld, author of "Swimming toward the Ocean"

"With a fine eye for detail, Jean Anderson tells stories of ordinary people who become extraordinary as she presents their conflicts and ambitions. Her characters live their daily lives in beautiful Alaska, and Anderson treats them with respect and compassion and imbues each story with great feeling" – Susheila Khera, author of "Step by Careful Step"

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