The Spirit Bird

Over a 35-year career, Nelson has garnered frequent widespread acclaim for his finely crafted short stories, which have been regularly featured in esteemed venues such as the 'O. Henry' and 'Pushcart' prize anthologies. His newest collection has won the 2014 Drue Heinz Literature Prize . . . Embracing a wide range of stirring themes and exotic backdrops, Nelson draws equally on his imagination and his own colorful experiences in 13 tales that are as moving as they are full of inspired surprises. . . . Nelson captivates his readers with finely nuanced prose that reaches into his characters' deepest feelings as they confront their unique personal misfortunes. Highly recommended.

Nelson has a magical way of twisting ordinary descriptions of people and places and making them come alive for the reader. . . .Highlights the desire to be whole and a reason to reach for more acceptance from other people and one's self. Wrapped within many layers of race, religion, and sexual orientation, the book looks at complicated narratives of real life issues and pushes the reader to react to these sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious stories by forming deeper bonds and connections to the characters.

The Spirit Bird indicates a seasoned talent at work. It's a collection set in disparate geographies and touching on disparate lives, but it explores consistently the terrain of loneliness and yearning. One of its more impressive features is the way it artfully balances saying too much with saying too little. These stories open out instead of closing up. They're moving, which is hard to do, and surprising in the sense that we're unprepared for how they end. I respect and admire The Spirit Bird. It's the work of an author whose passionate immersion in life is evident on every page.

The Spirit Bird is a gift to readers. Its lush, gorgeous prose and deep intelligence create a surprising range of experience, in which characters navigate the terrains of the human heart with piercing elegance. The wideness of this author's vision seems capable of taking in anything, and reveals human loneliness and desire with memorable grace.

Kent Nelson has published more short stories than almost any other American writer in our time. His descriptions of land and light create perfect backgrounds for characters, both men and women, who struggle to find meaningful ways to live their lives. This new collection shows why he's so frequently published. It's simply because he's so good.

Birds in this collection represent the self in perpetual motion, forever seeking. Lauren, the birder in the title story, asks what might be the question that underlies the volume: 'When the spirit is always on the move, how can it settle?' Nelson seems to suggest that the answer is found in seeking dignity and a measure of social justic—doing your part to create an even field on which to play the game.