Ron Carlson

Hugely respected by his peers and routinely showered with accolades in the form of rave reviews and literary prizes, Ron Carlson remains a largely unknown writer to the sort of folks who pluck their reading choices out of the new arrivals pig pile at the local [sic] book behemoth. There’s no particular reason to expect this to change any time soon, but that’s a dirty, rotten shame. Carlson is good—very good—a truly first-rate craftsman and storyteller, and a master of the short story form. Five Skies is Carlson’s first novel in more than two decades, and Publishers Weekly has called it “a tour de force of grief, atonement, and the cost of loyalty.” 3225 W. 69th St., Edina; 952-920-0633; www.barnesandnoble.com