The Acorn Stories

About the Book

“A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.”
-Kirkus Discoveries

“Each of Simolke's stories lets us look into the lives of some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about.”
-Amos Lassen, Literary Pride

“The ability to depict such a wide cross section of humanity, including details of each character’s breadth of knowledge and experience, takes a talented, insightful author, and Duane Simolke is such a writer.”
-E. Conley, Betty’s Books

"A well-crafted collection of short stories."
-L. L. Lee, author of Taxing Tallula

"It was a real pleasure to read about the fictional town of Acorn, Texas, and get to meet all the different and varied people that Mr. Simolke so eloquently fleshed out."
-Mark Kendrick, author of Desert Sons

Visit the West Texas town of Acorn! Enjoy the German festival, a high school football game, homemade apple pie from the Turner Street Café, and the cool shade of a hundred-year-old oak tree. Meet dedicated teachers, unusual artists, shrewd business owners, closeted gays, and concerned neighbors. See how lives become intertwined in moments of humor or tragedy. Just be careful, because in Acorn, the sky is always falling!

From romantic comedy to razor-sharp satire to moments of quiet reflection, Duane Simolke's award-winning tales transform a fictional West Texas town into a tapestry of human experiences.

About the Author

Duane Simolke is the author of The Acorn Stories, Degranon, Holding Me Together, and New Readings of Winesburg, Ohio. He edited and co-wrote the spin-off, The Acorn Gathering, donating all royalties to the American Cancer Society. Simolke lives in Lubbock, Texas, and received a Ph.D. in English from Texas Tech University.