Spilled Mik over the Dam
A riveting short story collection of memoir and musings.
Born in 1947 in a small New Hampshire town, author Warren Carlson grew up to travel the country and the world collecting a lifetime of memories and musings. In the first part of Spilled Milk over the Dam, Warren escorts readers on a deeply personal journey through his memories. From nostalgic childhood days to youthful coming-of-age experiences, then around the world with the Peace Corps and a variety of jobs stateside, his memoir stories are a blend of reflective, poignant, and at times humorous recollections of life and relationships.
In the second half of the book, Warren takes readers on an entirely different journey of the imagination with his collection of fascinating short stories. His musings dive into the troubled mind of Mary Todd Lincoln, the desperate struggle of plane crash survivors, the impact of a missing soldier on a small town, and a teacher struggling to make a difference. Along with many other thought-provoking stories, these short stories explore the human experience in profound ways.
Just a few of the stories:
- A Solitary Adventure in Good Company – a young teen experiences a night alone in the woods.
- The World’s Hairiest Man – unexpected encounters at a roadside diner.
- International Relations – awkward moments in a foreign hospital.
- Profile in Courage – a little girl overcoming disability.
- Sweetwater – an older man in memory care struggling to remember his life.
About the Author
Warren Carlson began his adventurous life when, at age fourteen, he slept alone in the woods for the first time and discovered that the world was a friendly and beautiful place. Other adventures followed: climbing Mt. Shasta three times and Mt. Ranier once; solitary hikes in several national parks; alpine excursions in France, Switzerland, Spain, and Azerbaijan; Peace Corps Volunteer in the middle east; travel to India, Kashmir, Turkey, Ireland, England and yes, a solitary motorcycle ride to Alaska where he met some of the characters depicted in this book while others have been made up or transferred from other adventures.
Carlson describes himself as a job vagabond. His employment adventures include ski instructor, actor-director-playwright, special needs teacher, newspaper reporter, carpenter, cowboy, ski area management, house designer and builder, and tour guide in three national parks.
His literary credits include numerous short stories and poetry. (Northern Journeys, Spectrum, Jefferson Journal and others.) His plays have been produced in several venues including Spokane Repertory, Spokane, Washington; Actors' Theatre, Ashland, Oregon; and the Metta Theatre, Taos, NM. He holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Read more stories by Carlson at warrencarlsonwriter.com.
