How does the squirrel hunting scene rank?
Good question. If I were to compile a list of the 50 best squirrel hunting scenes in short fiction this would easily breach the top five. It’s too bad Cousin Eddie quit eating squirrels after reading they were high in cholesterol. He would have really enjoyed Thanksgiving in this story. Writerly things to note: Pancake does a masterful job of linking the barren physical landscape of a farm, in winter, to the sparse emotional inner landscape of his protagonist. You’ll be devastated by things as simple as a hairline fracture in a car engine. I promise. Did you know? Pancake was posthumously nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. He killed himself at the age of 26. Google the author and check out articles on NPR, Wikipedia, or wherever. Pancake is an intresting and tragic figure. His bio is compelling and worth exploring. Type of Read: Remember that part in A Few Good Men? When Jack Nicholson says something like “Deep down inside of you, in places you don’t want to talk about at partiessomethi
