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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 2012)
B OO K S BY WI LLI AM K E NNE DY CLOSE IS FINE Exploring the male psyche via Wisconsin E liot Treichel calls Eugene home but he misses Wisconsin, and his debut collection of short stories, Close Is Fine, is a tribute to his home state. “It’s where I grew up,” Treichel says. “I wanted to understand it. I guess I started to miss it once I left. I was working on all the stories together to be a book.” And nostalgia for home permeates Close Is Fine, focused mainly on rural areas of the state and the characters that inhabit them. “Good Potato Soil” is the story of a couple of losers grappling with having a young child thrust into their lives. Elsewhere, social stigmas at a small-town high school are explored in “Papermaker Pride,” and an old-time forestry myth is created in “The Lumberjack’s Story.” These are all familiar to anyone who grew up in rural Oregon. “Oregon is the first place that felt like home in the same way Wisconsin did,” Treichel explains. “There are similarities. Looking at a map, Wisconsin and Oregon are the same latitude. I don’t know if there’s something to that. Rural America is similar all across the states.” Besides telling stories of Wisconsin, Close Is Fine is about men: working class, blue-collar men who volunteer to fight fires in “The Golden Torch,” build imitation Howitzers in “Close is Fine” and train bear cubs in “Stargazer.” “There’s a lot of me in these stories, but I can’t build shit,” he jokes, explaining that research and a collection of weird jobs in grad school helped him add so much authentic detail to the writing. In addition to working with their hands, Treichel’s characters mess up; they mess up big and mess up in uniquely male ways. In “On By” a young art teacher, recently relocated to a small-town, is led astray from his pregnant wife by a local dog sledder named Rita. The narrator doesn’t seem to realize his own dissatisfaction and boredom with his marriage until he’s on the dog sled or in another woman’s bed. “On By” is particularly devastating, its dead-on male point of view provokes stinging memories of sadness and confusion in my own life. Treichel’s characters frequently don’t know their own feelings until the physical and emotional worlds link. Unfortunately, this leads to the women in their lives being hurt. In an interview with Treichel tagged to the end of the collection, he mentions finding inspiration in the Wilco lyric “I am trying to break your heart.” He also references the Wilco song “Passenger Side” in the title of the book itself. Like Wilco, Treichel’s writing could be called alt-country. I enjoyed the melancholy, meticulous detail, rugged prose and “salt of the earth” characters, though perhaps they suffered a bit from being viewed through a romantic lens and a certain I-escaped-to-grad-school distance. At the end of “On By” Rita drops five words on our main character that suddenly snap his priorities back in focus. While we don’t always see their redemption in the book, we’re certain Treichel and his characters, despite their faults, end up OK after all. Q Close if Fine is available now from Ooligan Press. CLASSIFIEDS To place a classifi ed ad: CALL 541.484.0519 EMAIL classy@eugeneweekly.com WEB classifi eds.eugeneweekly.com WRITE 1251 Lincoln St. Eugene, OR 97401 VISIT our offi ce Monday-Friday 8am-5pm EVENTS EVENTS CALENDAR pace S r u o Y m i a l C Overwhelmed with clutter? Feeling weird and don’t know why? We remove icky energy & organize stuff Free consult ~ 541-344-8192 Linda Leanne & Jan Meredith The Spiral School ESTATE/MOVING MULTI-FAMILY SALE FRI-SAT- SUN NOVEMBER 9,10 & 11 Furniture, appli- GOT YOGA? FREE Intro to Yoga Class Fri. Nov 9, 5:45-7:15pm 7:30pm at SEHS soccer fields. No experi- ence necessary! eugenewomensrugby. com Moving into Stillness, Restorative Yoga 3635 Hilyard • 686.0432 Sun 3:00-5:15pm $22 / $27 day of Weekend Workshop Nov 16-18 Yogic Numerology: Cycles of Life EUGENE YOGA a sanctuary for body, mind, spirit What will 2013 bring for you? Saturday, Nov. 10, 2-5 pm 3575 Donald St. Eugene, OR 97405 LQIR#HXJHQH\RJDXV ZZZHXJHQH\RJDXV $25 pre-registered, $35 door Altar of Love Kirtan ~ Jaya Lakshmi & Ananda 30 Jai Kartar / Joan 344-8332 www.yogawesteugene.com November 8, 2012 • eugeneweekly.com Wanted Announcements IF YOU WITNESSED an accident Sun. after- noon 10/28, intersection of Seneca & Roosevelt, dark pick-up & silver mini-van, please call 541.914.9578 EUGENE FENCERS CLUB Modern Olympic Fencing. Foil, Epee & Saber. USFA/USFCA Certified Coaches. Roosevelt Middle School, Tuesday & Thursday, 6-8:30pm, 541-688- 6574, eugenefencersclub.org Heartbroken! Rain pants, headlamp and gloves- all gone! Please call Boyd at 541- 686-0921 Opportunities ICE HOCKEY! ANYONE CAN PLAY! Adult, non- checking, coed ice hockey leagues and classes in Eugene! No skating experience necessary. Classes with free loaner gear begin October 6! 541-521-1650 icecenter@ gmail.com www.icecenterhockey.org H E L P WA N T E D CASH FOR CARS: Any Car/Truck. Running or SAM BONDS GARAGE SEEKS NEW BINGO HOSTS . Monday nights 8-midnight. FMI Not! Top Dollar Paid. We Come To You! Call For Instant Offer: 1-888-420-3808 www. cash4car.com (AAN CAN) email BondsBooking@hotmail.com. Thanks Tom & Scott Misc. REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL! Get a 4-Room BULLETIN BOARD LOST- MESH BAG OF BIKE COMMUTE STUFF Sat Nov 10, 12:00-1:15pm VOICE OVER WORKSHOP Get behind a micro- phone & learn skills to become a profes- sional voice talent! Taught by Bill Barrett, Pro Voice Talent and Radio Personality & Don Ross, Don Ross Productions Recording Studio. Sunday, November 18. eugenevo- classes@gmail.com or 541-343-2692. 10&17 Mini $20 with Joanna Brook call 541- 342-8348 THIS WEEKEND PROFESSIONAL COACHING CERTIFICATION Looking to upgrade your Lost & Found FREE Intro to Qigong w/Eric Shaffer Workshops TAROT READINGS At STAR GATE Saturdays PLAY RUGBY! EUGENE REIGN IS RECRUITING PLAYERS & FANS! Training Mon & Wed 5:30- Upcoming Events 11/10 Empower w/Self-Hypnosis w/Willow Rose 11/16-17 Channeling/Everyday Tool w/ Ker Cleary & Julia Trippe 11/29 Inner Light Circle w/Carolyn Fonyo 541-349-0595 www.TheSpiralSchool.com Spirituality ances, kitchen womens clothes SM-20. Media, fountain, bikes, mower, camp equip etc. 9a-5p. 5562 Cardiff. No advanced sales; cash. skills w/Alchemical transformational mind/ body/spirit techniques? Obtain certifica- tion for helping others in life & business? This is being offered at low cost Nov 9,10 & 11 at the Campbell House in Eugene. 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Fri-Tues 11am- 6pm, Closed Weds & Thurs. 88530 Greenhill Rd, 541-689-1503 green-hill.org Look for our Pet of the Week! $DANCERS$ Tired of your current club! SWEET ILLUSIONS has day & night shifts SHELTER ANIMAL RESOURCE ALLIANCE $$$HELP WANTED$$$ Extra Income! S.A.R.A.’s Treasures Gift & Thrift Shop. Volunteer, Donate, Shop, ADOPT! 871 River Road, Open Daily 10am-6pm. 541-607-8892 sarastreasures.org Look for this week’s Rescued Cat. Adoption/Family Services ADOPT: ADORING YOUNG TV PRODUCER & ATTORNEY, HOME-COOKING, BEACHES, SPORTS AWAIT PRECIOUS BABY. EXPENSES PAID. 1-800-562-8287 available. No experience, can train. Excellent tips! 541-852-8625 or 541-517- 7196 THE HOTTEST CLUB IN LANE COUNTY! Assembling CD cases from Home! No Experience Necessary! Call our Live Operators Now! 1-800-405-7619 EXT 2450 http://www.easywork-greatpay.com (AAN CAN) Career Training AIRLINE CAREERS - Become an Aviation Maintenance Tech. FAA approved training. Financial aid if qualified - housing available. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 877-492-3059 (AAN CAN) ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home. Medical, Business, Criminal Justice, Hospitality. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if quali- fied. SCHEV authorized. Call 800-481-9472. www.CenturaOnline.com (AAN CAN)
