NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ by Morgan Talty; Tin House, 2022; 285 pages, $16.95; ISBN 978-1-953534-18-7.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ

Morgan Talty is a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation. He is also a writer to be recognized for his skill in writing revealing stories that most people would prefer to avoid — except Talty won’t let us.

“Night of the Living Rez”  is Talty’s debut book, a collection of 12 interconnected stories about a multigenerational Penobscot family living on the reservation. Ten of the stories were previously published in literary journals, and Talty received the 2021 Narrative Prize for his work. He lives in Levant and teaches writing at three Maine schools.

Half the stories follow a young Penobscot boy named David growing up on the reservation; other stories are about David as a young man, nicknamed Dee. The stories alternate, but are not in chronological order. That makes no difference to the flow — it’s clear what Talty is doing. However, reader beware: These stories are uncomfortable to read as Talty’s powerful voice, vivid imagery and clever subtleties describe rampant drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, petty crime and the hopelessness of abject poverty.

As a boy, David sees a dysfunctional family as a normal thing. Both he and his mother mistake emotional numbness for happiness, influenced by superstition, cultural and social expectations that stifle imagination and perpetuate despair. As a young man in his 20s, Dee relies on booze and illegal drugs, committing crimes like theft and burglary, even stealing money and drugs from family and friends. With no job and no prospects, Dee’s life is circling the drain.

Talty’s writing is masterful — taut, strong, engaging, almost neat and tidy, but there is nothing neat or tidy about any of his characters or their situations. This is painful reading, sort of like seeing a slow-motion train wreck — you can’t help but slow down to watch.

PEANUT BUTTER MEMOIRS by David Wilson; Rose Dog Books, 2022; 247 pages, $18; ISBN 978-1-6386-7409-2.

PEANUT BUTTER MEMOIRS

Law enforcement officers who work in northern Maine’s most rural areas, like Piscataquis County, often find themselves responding to calls alone, with backup miles away. Whether police officer, sheriff deputy, state trooper or game warden, these men and women have to be well-trained, mentally and physically fit, and possess that most important, nerve-tingling “cop intuition.”

Author and veteran law enforcement officer David Wilson tells what it’s like to be a cop in northern Maine, through his own career journey from local dispatcher, reserve officer, full-time officer and sheriff deputy to investigator with the Maine DEA, and criminal investigator with the Maine Department of Corrections.

“Peanut Butter Memoirs”  is a gritty, unvarnished view of a cop’s profession, its rewards and disappointments, successes and set-backs.Most refreshing, Wilson makes no apologies for the stories he tells or how he tells them. His position: If you don’t like it — Tough.

He tells true stories of working with good cops and bad cops, scary 911 calls, criminal investigations, arrests for DUI, drug offenses, serious crimes and the effects humor and tragedy have on officers. He also expresses strong opinions about drug users, welfare scofflaws, the state prison system and the petty rivalries between law enforcement agencies.

Several stories are hilarious, like the one that should be titled “Dog Bites Cop,” and the one about the dead guy’s ashes on his desk. Most are serious, like the two tragic officer-involved shootings he witnessed, and the kidnap and rape case he solved on a hunch.  Best, however, is his vivid description of the intense and stressful 18-week training program at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro.

Learn about how he has fun with stupid crooks, his nickname “Deputy Death,” the gut-wrenching “fight scenario,” and about death by peanut butter.

Bill Bushnell lives and writes in Harpswell.