Ken Tangvik is our Choices guest today. I "met" him virtually through the publisher we have in common, Aberdeen Bay, and read and loved his book, Don't Mess with Tanya: Stores Emerging from the Boston Barrios. Here is my short review: The Boston stories in Don’t Mess with Tanya, by Ken Tangvik, are beautifully and expertly portrayed. I liked every one – especially the story about Tanya, the young black woman, who gets back at a store keeper for treating her with distrust as she looks around his store. I also liked Matt’s story as he waits in a hair salon for his haircut. The women talking in the waiting area give him quite a lesson in how they live their lives. These stories show the cultural and race diversity of the Boston community by portraying immigration difficulties and the violence the people have to contend with. However, it is not all dark. Love is portrayed as well. So I'm very pleased to introduce you to Ken Tangvik and his wise words about reading and writing. The … [Read more...]