Echolocation

Stories

In this provocative collection of short stories, Karen Hofmann creates characters who struggle to connect or disconnect from entanglements and relationships. With ironic accuracy and sensuous imagery, Hofmann considers a range of human foibles: a newlywed couple who transform into feral beasts during the hardships of a remote research expedition; backbiting faculty members who strip down during a post-conference BBQ; an heretical nun who explores the possibility of a new life by imaginatively excavating the fossils of BC’s Burgess Shale; and an ambitious bylaw officer determined to make her mark on the city’s streets.

Contributors

Karen Hofmann

Karen Hofmann teaches creative writing and English at Thompson Rivers University. Her short fiction and poetry have won a number of recognitions.

Chapter Title Contents Contributors Pages Year Price

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Two misfit newlyweds turn feral on their wilderness honeymoon. 14 $1.40

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A famous actor and his friend fail to reconnect as they tour an ersatz cave in the south of France. 18 $1.80

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Faculty members strip down during a post-conference BBQ and bare more than their feelings. 14 $1.40

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A former trumpet player fondly remembers her younger days of travelling in a band of people with dwarfism. 10 $1.00

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A story of miscarriage and marriage from the perspective of a mother struggling in the emergency room. 12 $1.20

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A refugee’s trip to visit her parents unravels a long-buried secret of love, loss and reminds us of life’s consequences. 26 $2.60

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While cleaning a friend’s yard, a man thinks about the struggles of dealing with illness and the love of his life. 12 $1.20

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While on a canoeing trip with friends, a woman contemplates her relationship with her husband. 16 $1.60

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A son experiences childhood memories of his estranged father while visting a secluded cabin in Clearwater, BC. 22 $2.20

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A heretical nun explores the possibility of a new life by imaginatively excavating the fossils of BC’s Burgess Shale. 6 $0.60

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A single parent rekindles romance with his ex while visiting his daughter for her university graduation. 22 $2.20

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On a mission for children in India, a pediatric nurse thinks about the meaning of friendship while visiting a bird sanctuary in New Delhi. 20 $2.00

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An ambitious bylaw officer is determined to make her mark on the city’s streets. 22 $2.20

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An elderly painter clings to her independence while travelling in Nepal. 27 $2.70

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Author acknowledgements. 2 $0.20

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A brief biography of Karen Hofmann. 1 $0.10