"...catches the ambiance of West over the last 40 years...excellent at describing settings, also wonderful at creating unforgettable characters." -- KLIATT "Introspective and soul-searching, but not self-indulgent...Teens who like Ernest Hemingway or Jim Harrison will enjoy this book." -- School Library Journal "Schanbacher writes beautifully, but not in a showy way. He builds up characters and landscape through simple, precise detail." -- NewWest.Net "Schanbacher's unflinching prose is also lyrical...it lays bare the deepest of emotions of the human heart." -- Rocky Mountain News This beautifully drawn collection of short stories features characters living in or touched by the American West. Young and old, with heartbreaking pasts and uncertain futures, these characters lead lives filled with tender compassions and incidental cruelties. The stories deal with migration in all of its nuances: the self-imposed exile of a young crab fisherman from the life he desires; an aging flower child who experiences enlightenment while waiting in the express checkout line; a veterinarian watching birds fall mysteriously from the sky; an old man who sees his life come full circle in his garden harvest. Spare, yet emotionally engaging, Migration Patterns is an exploration of the physical and spiritual aspects of moving on in life. Gary L. Schanbacher was raised amidst the rich storytelling tradition of southeastern Virginia. Educated at Randolph-Macon College and Old Dominion University, Schanbacher moved to Colorado to continue his graduate studies at the University of Colorado where he earned a PhD in economics and nurtured an emerging love of fly-fishing.