Whirl of Birds

This story collection is a journey into the human mind, from prehistory to our globalized times. One story follows a Neanderthal girl as she attempts to flee human tribes ("My Big Man"), while another offers a glimpse into the friendship of three girls during the Great Depression ("Painted Snails"). In one story, a boy disappears into a cloud (Stolen Light). In another, a boy's mother attempts to uncover the secret of his molestation ("Away from the Flock"). In one story, a horse lies dying at the outskirts of a modern city ("Valley of the Horse"), while in another, a strange bird formation foretells a woman reaching the end of her life ("Whirl of Birds"). One story addresses religious sects ("At Taft Point"), one peeks into the life of an animal hoarder ("The Return"), while another explores the seductive power of art ("Mahogany"). There is a fake Iraq veteran lying his way into a relationship with a single mother ("Drifters"), and an old man who paints the women with whom he has affairs ("Rabbit in the Hat"). Some stories have a slight element of magical realism ("Valley of the Horse" and "Whirl of Birds"), while in one story a telephone inside a radio station randomly produces a time travel event ("Sound Waves"). One story is a metaphor for communism in Eastern Europe ("Puppet Show"), while another is a political satire involving cats ("Prodigal").

About the Author :
Liana V. Andreasen is originally from Romania, where she received an English degree from Al. I. Cuza University. Her graduate studies brought her to the United states, specifically to Salisbury University for an MA in English, and Binghamton University for a PhD in English, specializing in literary theory. She has been teaching in McAllen, TX, since 2004, seeing the small border community grow and become more vibrant and more cosmopolitan. Her book, The Fall of Literary Theory was published in 2017 with BrownWalker Press. She has published in such journals as Fiction International, MENSA's journal Calliope, Lumina, Eureka Literary Magazine, The Raven Chronicles, and many more. She has also published many translations of Romanian poetry, such as the Of Gentle Wolves Anthology (with Adam Sorkin), or Daniel Marin's poetry collection, The Bodies that Never Fit Us Well. She has worked as managing editor of the literary journals Interstice and Sleipnir, and she is a long time collaborator for the Romanian literary journal, Alecart. She also published scholarly articles in journals such as Rampike, Southwestern American Literature, Texas Review, and she frequently attends scholarly conferences. She is a member of the Cormac McCarthy Society and Popular Culture Association. She scores yearly for ETS, AP Literature.

Review :
"Andreasen's collection of short stories presents fantastical characters with relatable troubles." -Kirkus Reviews, https: //www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/liana-vrajitoru-andreasen/whirl-of-birds/ At times allegorical or satirical, these stories are delivered with wit and intense compassion. Like the personages of Matei Visniec's theatrical panoply, who aim "rather to move the reader than to deliver clear and tonic messages," Vrăjitoru Andreasen's characters shake us out of complacency to confront us with the abyss of indifference and the tyrannies of desire. -Mihaela Moscaliuc, author of Father Dirt, Immigrant Model, Cemetery Ink To read a story by Liana Vrăjitoru Andreasen is like watching a single intricate flower bloom in slow-motion photography. You can't quickly sum it up without dispelling the effect of a quiet, slow unfolding. -Martin Bidney, author of When Two Friends Meet, Wordsongs for Music, Asclepiad Explorer, Shakespair These stories reveal the terrifying power of art in the swirl of madness that is the life of the artmaker. But they are grounded enough to remember that even the most fantastic impulse of art is moored in the vulnerable humanity of intimate relationships and the great tremors of political history. These stories will shock and surprise because they are rooted as they are surreal. -Saikat Majumdar, author of The Scent of God, The Middle Finger, The Fire Bird