Bodies of Water

Bodies of Water follows a group of young people growing up in the fictional Alaskan town of Aldyr’s Bay. The three short stories, told through the points of view of three siblings — Cove, Lake, and River Kagan — explore survivors’ guilt, community, and loyalty (or the lack thereof), while also addressing mental health, addiction, and grief. One story takes place on the last day of spring under the looming realization that it is the first season in three years where no one has died. The other two stories navigate deaths of the past and the grief and guilt the characters harbor. Overall, the characters show that someone can love a place while haunted by the people and events that have happened there and that the world, like water, does not stop flowing in the face of grief. These topics are explored through the interpersonal connections and conflicts between the youth of the town and interwoven histories of the physical landscape. I have long sought to find a way to write for those growing up in small towns where everyone knows everyone and history is only a blessing if one can escape the death grip it often has. Bodies of Water is my answer.