There Go I

WINNER OF THE 2024 ERIC HOFFER AWARD FOR BEST SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK AND GRAND PRIZE FINALIST.


"In There Go I, Bill VanPatten has not only shown readers a wide array of characters struggling with secrets that define them and searching for ways to release them, but he has provided some wonderful prose, chock full of metaphor and meaning, phrases that make us stop and sigh with joy. Even a simple description of the approaching, deadly fog: 'It snakes across the land, slithering down the San Joaquin Valley, a seductive killer cloaked in gray velvetiness prowling for victims. Silently it swallows everything in its path. We highly recommend this collection of stories that covers the full spectrum of feelings, from pain to hope. Ultimately, though, says the author, 'I truly believe that everything is possible in life. We simply need to open up our hearts.'" BookTrib

"There is a sense of a personal touch to each of these tales that, when combined with VanPatten's intimate writing style, creates a body of work that is thoroughly riveting to read." Readers' Favorite ★★★★★

"These intimate tales prove worthy of the accolades for his previous stories and novels . . . illuminating and impactful stories in which devastating pasts are righted in decisive presents show literature changing and shaping cultural mindsets for the better." -The US Review of Books


In this collection of short stories, award-winning author Bill VanPatten takes the reader on a journey in and around the Central Valley of California. From the titular story, "There Go I"-in which a man studies a woman and ponders what made her the bitter soul she is-to "Buzz"-about a young girl in 1951 who dreams of being another Amelia Earhart-VanPatten deftly weaves past with present as characters' lives are laid bare on the page. These stories are small-town California like most readers have never imagined.


Bill VanPatten is the author of four novels and three collections of short stories. Visit his site at www.billvanpatten.net.