Stories from Green Cedar Forest, by Robin Audu

Prose, chapbook, 44 pages, from Bottlecap Features. Stories from Green Cedar Forest is a collection of short stories set in a small forest community. Eleven intertwined stories explore the enigma of intuition. How do we recognize it? How do we know it’s right? How do we give voice to it? Among the residents is Babo, the badger, who pleaded with his friends to ignore his 80th birthday because he believed that by skipping his birthday, he could slow down time. On the morning of his birthday, he felt saddened by his decision. Babo’s friends, who anticipated this, lined up small surprises for Babo, and as the day went on, Bobo felt celebrated and loved, without a mention of his birthday. Blanche, the white-tailed deer, packed up her canvas and easel after an unsuccessful day of painting. She had a funny feeling not to take the quick route home through the woods that evening but instead to track across the grassy hills. When she followed the nudge, she found the hills basking in an orange glaze of the setting sun—the perfect setting for her painting. Misty, the mouse, ignored her intuition and found herself getting hurt by someone. In conversation with her friend, Blanche, she explains how the situation made her grow guarded. Blanche says: “It’s good to be guarded if that keeps you safe, but sometimes you need to let your guard down and trust someone, even if it’s someone new; otherwise, you miss out on unexpected things, you know, the special stuff.” All paths cross in the final story, during which the residents’ instincts are put to the test at the annual Green Cedar Dance. Robin started her writing career as a playwright before narrowing in on prose and children’s literature. Robin graduated with a BA (Hons.) in Arts and a MA in Arts and Cultural Management from the University of South Australia. She taught creative writing at the University of Wollongong. Her other published works include picture book, Harley & Aya, and middle grade novel, Dangerfield and the Solar Empire. Robin lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two children, and black and white cat, Boomie. She would love to hear from you at Instagram.com/robinaudubooks and robinaudubooks.com.