Erin Van Rheenen
Erin Van Rheenen divides her time between California and Costa Rica. She has taught writing at City College of New York and in the San Francisco County Jail. She has a new book titled Living Abroad in Costa Rica (Avalon Travel Publishing).
— From November 2004The Weight Of Memory
At Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon, they hand out maps of the store, as if it were a forest you might get lost in. My mother is looking for a novel; I want something that will help me identify the birds and trees of the Northwest. Oregon is much more lush than I remember; its green makes California look brown. My mother grew up in Portland but doesn’t recall the names of things. I lived here until the age of seven.
November 2004Thirteen Ways Of Claiming A Literary Prize
At the other end of the bar stood a stocky man with thinning hair and black-rimmed glasses. His skin gave off an unhealthy sheen; his eyes swam, magnified and vague, behind thick lenses. So this was the Pulitzer Prize–winning author (let’s call him Moe) who’d chosen my unpublished book as best new novel.
November 2003Request a free trial, and we’ll mail you a print copy of this month’s issue. Plus you’ll get full online access — including 50 years of archives. Request A Free Issue