Night of the Living Rez

stories

Morgan Talty

$32.99

Paperback

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English

Scribe Publications
02 September 2025

Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Short stories

WINNER OF THE PEN/ROBERT W. BINGHAM PRIZE WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE JOHN LEONARD PRIZE WINNER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS & LETTERS SUE KAUFMAN PRIZE WINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND BOOK AWARD A NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION 5 UNDER 35 HONOREE

Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy.

In twelve striking, luminescent stories, author Morgan Talty - with searing humour, abiding compassion, and deep insight - breathes life into tales of family and a community as they struggle with a painful past and an uncertain future. A boy unearths a jar that holds an old curse, which sets into motion his family's unraveling; a man, while trying to swindle some pot from a dealer, discovers a friend passed out in the woods, his hair frozen into the snow; a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's projects the past onto her grandson; and two friends, inspired by Antiques Roadshow, attempt to rob the tribal museum for valuable root clubs.

A collection that examines the consequences and merits of inheritance, Night of the Living Rez is an unforgettable portrayal of an Indigenous community and marks the arrival of a standout talent in contemporary fiction.

'Remarkable ... An electric, captivating voice ... Talty has assured himself a spot in the canon of great Native American literature ...

He

forms a rich and vast picture of what it is to be alive, with stunning clarity, empathy and unwavering honesty.' -Amil Niazi, The New York Times

'A perfect mix of funny, sad, timely, and intense, this one has something for everyone.' -The Boston Globe

'Talty's book haunted and thrilled me in its raw explorations of inheritance, grief and survival, imbued with humour and warmth.' -NPR Books

By: Morgan Talty
Imprint: Scribe Publications
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 209mm, Width: 137mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 302g
ISBN: 9781761381614
ISBN 10: 176138161X
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 02 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Morgan Talty is a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation. His debut short story collection, Night of the Living Rez, won the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Sue Kaufman Prize, the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, the New England Book Award, and the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 Honor. His writing has appeared widely, including in The Georgia Review, Granta, and Lit Hub. Talty is an assistant professor of English in Creative Writing and Native American and Contemporary Literature at the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in Levant, Maine.