No Set Boundaries: Eleven Stories of Life, Travel, Misadventure
By Townsend 11, Volume 2
Edited by Larry Habegger
Price $2.99
INTRODUCTION
Breaking New Ground
By Larry Habegger
When we got started with Townsend 11, our primary intention was to put our work out to a wider audience. We weren’t thinking about being entrepreneurs or developing a business or capturing a new market; we just liked the work we were doing and wanted to give others the chance to enjoy it, too. But then we started hearing that we were innovators, a cool group of writers exploring new territory as the publishing world and the way of the writer were changing all around us.
So we began to look at that and wonder if this really is new ground we’re breaking. Aren’t others self-publishing their work on e-platforms, spreading the word to audiences they’d never be able to reach otherwise? The world of websites and blogs and social networks hasn’t been around that long, but it’s been here long enough for thousands if not millions of others to chart the same waters we’re charting.
So are we cool or not?
The best way to decide is to read our books, follow our progress, and see for yourself.
In No Set Boundaries we set out to explore the world as we encounter it, whether my floating down a historic canal in France pondering the passage of life, Jennifer Baljko marveling at the human towers built on sweat and courage in Barcelona, or Bonnie Smetts finally discovering how to play the cultural shopping game in Rome. We have stories in this volume that will make you laugh or wince in pain. You can do both with Bill Zarchy and his warped willie, or with John Dalton as he learns about the limits of invincibility on Brokeleg Mountain. Barbara Robertson might make you hope you’ll never have to ask directions again, Dana Hill helps you adapt to all manner of beach weather, and Carol Beddo shows you the resilience of a young Peace Corps worker faced with false accusations and officiousness. Y.J. Zhu pursues her father’s dream from sunrise to sunset exploring the mysteries of Angkor Wat, and Jacqueline Yau fulfills her own fantasy racing through the warrens of Jaisalmer, India. Making sure we don’t go too far afield, Jacqueline Collins brings us all back home again with a love poem to her favorite garden.
The whole package is a satisfying mix of humor, mishap, reminiscence, and thoughtfulness. Settle in and see for yourself.
For more on Townsend 11, get a copy of our first volume, No Fixed Destination: Eleven Stories of Life, Love, Travel. My introduction there explains who we are, how we got started, and why we call ourselves Townsend 11. And look for volume 3, No Fixed Plans, soon.
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