Short Stories

THE OREGON VARIATIONS

This entertaining and often irreverent collection includes stories set throughout the 36 counties of Oregon. The book celebrates the state's individualistic and quirky inhabitants, from Beaverton roller derby queens and a Hells Canyon Hot Shot fire crew to cantankerous Newport fishermen.

The 20 selected stories reel from flash fiction to parody, all the time revolving around deeper themes of love, loneliness, and art.

Click here to read a sample story, about a Portland bookstore owner who buys the mystic Oregon Vortex on a hunch.

Click here for discussion points, and to learn more about "The Oregon Variations." 

Click here to hear the author discuss the book (1-minute video).

248 pages, 5.5" x 8.5", paper

Order from  AMAZON ($20 print, $9.99 ebook)

Order from BARNES & NOBLE ($20 print, $9.99 ebook)

Order as an audio book from AUDIBLE (listen to a free 4-minute sample)

Reviews

"Sullivan never fails to delight. 'The Oregon Variations' is a collection of short stories, with at least one story set in each county in Oregon. Some are funny, some are quirky, some are surreal, some are sad, and many of them are thought provoking. He's a great storyteller."

   -- Paulina Springs Bookstore, Sisters, Oregon

"Great, terrific, fascinating, and more. I wish I had my old energy back and could write like [Sullivan]."

    -- Arnold Ismach, retired dean, University of Oregon School of Journalism

"Such a good book. It's very satisfying for me to know that one of my students has fulfilled his early promise as a writer."

    -- Allison Lurie, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction

"Confusing . . . totally lost . . . seemingly random . . . . I don't know about this one."

    -- Laura Hanson, Willamette Week

"Fun book. We encounter a poet Sasquatch, teeming mall rats, the roller derby, and text messages from God. Let's meet at Fred's Book Bunker, Mr. Sullivan. You have a lot of interesting ideas. I'll bring readers."

     -- Brian Juenemann, Eugene Register-Guard

"This is my husband's favorite book. Jay and I read a lot, especially late in bed. He would read a couple of 'Oregon Variations' each night, wake me up laughing, and insist on reading part of the story out loud. What impressed him most was that Sullivan could handle so many different literary styles."

   -- Teresa Bowerman, daughter-in-law of Olympic track coach Bill Bowerman