Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.
Douglas Unger has authored four novels, including Leaving the Land, and a collection of short fiction, Looking for War and Other Stories. He is co-founder of the MFA in Creative Writing at University of Nevada-Las Vegas and serves on the executive board of International Institute of Modern Letters.
"Thanks for coming out so early in the morning," Unger began his presentation. "I've never given a fiction reading before at his time of day."
He read selections from Leaving the Land, about the 1930s-1940s generation.
"Ben Hogan moved that house on logs 18 miles...."
"His bright, painted stock sign, Lazy UR...."
"He kept his fences horse-high, hog-tight, cow-strong...."
"It's all because of the War Foods Program that turkeys are raised in the upper midwest...."
"Without chickens, turkeys could not learn to peck. They'd stand in a pile of corn and starve to death. A lot of them died anyway...."
"A whole flock might stop chasing grasshoppers and stand in religious silence before the rain...."
"Anybody who grew up out in the country knows we all carve out our secret places...."
"Her father who used to swear and spit and rage at her, then give her a fiver for the dance...."
"What a sight you are! What a sight you are!"
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