Marlene Lee celebrates the release of Inner Passage!

Author Marlene Lee has been out on the road promoting her short story collection, Inner Passage, which was published by EIF last month. First stop was the Boone County History and Culture Center, where she gave a reading to an appreciative audience and signed copies of her book. Then there was the book’s in-person launch at Skylark Bookshop, which was a huge success (featured image shows Marlene (right) with author Jocelyn Cullity). Earlier this week, Marlene read her story ‘Myrtle Jensen’ to a packed audience at her retirement community, who were captivated by her accomplished storytelling and literary finesse.

A first-rate write-up in Columbia Tribune

As if all of this weren’t enough, Marlene received a ringing endorsement from Aarik Danielsen at the Columbia Daily Tribune. Below are just a few pertinent quotes, though I recommend reading the article in full.

“As a writer, Lee beautifully embodies the passenger’s principle: Learn to secure your own oxygen mask before aiding another traveler. Growing into her own self-awareness, now she deftly handles her characters’ sundry ways of seeing and overlooking.”

“As characters sense their own desires, and sift those belonging to others, Lee exercises empathy, not judgment. She harbors deep-seated affection, focused on qualities they share rather than what separates them.”

“Written toward sound, for the sake of sight, Lee’s stories keep readers in touch with their every sense so we all might know each other for the better.”

Inner Passage is available at Skylark Bookshop and Yellow Dog Bookshop in Columbia, Missouri, as well as Barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.com: