Gene Twaronite

A strong vein of the absurd runs through much of Gene Twaronite's work. His poems, fiction, and essays have been widely published in numerous magazines, anthologies, and journals.

Gene 's book, "The Family That Wasn't," was written in 1990 when he lived in Providence, RI. Inspired by some of James Thurber's stories about wacky family members, Gene created in this short fable a family so impossibly crazy that the teenage main character cannot stand living with them another moment. Gene's second book, "My Vacation in Hell," is the sequel to this earlier book. Geared for young adults, it is a dark comic fantasy of a young man's journey through hell. Set in the mid-1960s, it is narrated by a 15-year-old writer and victim of sexual abuse. Gene's "Dragon Daily News" is a collection of 23 wacky stories of the imagination that are fun to read aloud.

Gene is also the author of four poetry collections, published by Aldrich Press (Kelsay Books). His first poetry book was "Trash Picker on Mars." A second collection, "The Museum of Unwearable Shoes," was published in 2018. His newest collection "Shopping Cart Dreams" was published in 2022.

Gene's collection of adult short stories,"Approaching Wilderness: Six Stories of Dementia," was inspired by his late mother's struggles with this terrible disease. "The Absurd Naturalist" is a collection of humorous essays about nature, gardening, and the environment that will have you both laughing and thinking about this fascinating world we live in. He has also written an absurd memoir, "My Life as a Sperm: Essays from the Absurd Side," a collection of 28 quirky autobiographical essays.

A former teacher and university instructional specialist, Gene now lives in Tucson, Arizona.