Selected Short Stories
By Anthony Bukoski
2018, Nodin Press, $19.95
Head of the Lakes is the sixth short-story collection by Anthony Bukoski. Most of the stories take place in an ethnic neighborhood in his native Superior, Wisc., where his immigrant grandparents settled. In each story, the characters are in need of emotional and spiritual fulfillment—often depressed, drunk or dying—and looking for hope or love. Sometimes, they get lucky for a while: a Polish sailor finds the stability he desires when he leaves the ship to live with a family in Superior; a minor league baseball player meets the girl of his dreams during a season in the Texas League.—Breana Roy