Edward Makuta

Edward Makuta was born in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania to a family of coal miners. His first collection of stories: THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY AND OTHER FICTIONS has that region as its setting. The title is meant ironically, because, to many of the Eastern European immigrants who settled there, America was anything but a land of opportunity: many died because of the coal mines, some lost their religious faith, some had to fight in WWI against family members still living in Europe. The stories stem from the haunting images of the author's days there. His second collection of stories: AFFECTIONATELY . . . IN JESUS AND MARY chronicles the everyday activities, whether praiseworthy or blameful, of five men as they progress through the stages of training and formation that culminate in ordination to the priesthood. A novel: WHY WOULD SHE LIE ABOUT TURTLES? was released in Dec., 2012, followed by the sequel: THE DEATH OF PETER PATKUTKA, and by the second editions of THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY AND OTHER FICTIONS, and AFFECTIONATELY . . . IN JESUS AND MARY, both containing new, previously unpublished stories. EXPEDITION WITH A BONE HUNTER, the last story in the collection: AFFECTIONATELY . . . IN JESUS AND MARY: SECOND EDITION, was published - with changes - as a novella in 2017. A collection of new stories: AT LONG LAST . . . and other stories was published in 2017, as well as THE HIDDEN LIFE OF EDDIE MOSZKA in 2018, a novella taken from the collection: AFFECTIONATELY . . . IN JESUS AND MARY: SECOND EDITION. Makuta now lives on Cape Cod; he has wended his way there after many detours, both physical and spiritual. He is working on a collection of new stories tentatively entitled: A BOOK WITHOUT A CENTER, WITHOUT AN EDGE