Former Rhinelander resident releases first story collection

After a long career as a writer in professional positions, award-winning author Dan Bruneau has published his first collection of stories. The Journey and the Destination includes 25 stories, mostly creative nonfiction but with several fictional pieces as well.

Bruneau, who graduated from Rhinelander High School in 1973, explained that he began writing stories in his retirement and eventually realized he had written a book.

“I sometimes wonder if I should have titled it The Accidental Book,” Bruneau said.  “Throughout my career I’d written for newspapers and the federal government.  I wanted to try different writing forms and found it’s even more fulfilling than I anticipated.”

The book’s title is taken from one of the stories in which the narrator picks up a hitchhiker in brutal weather.  During a break at a truck stop, his passenger decides to stay behind—leaving the narrator to discover years later that the brief encounter had a far greater impact than he could have imagined.

Another story, Scared Straight, is based on the author’s traumatic introduction to concepts of sin as a first grader at a Catholic school.  Bruneau humorously compares the experience to a 1979 film in which convicts frighten juvenile delinquents into correcting the errors of their ways.

Those stories earned first place awards in a recent literary arts competition, with the judge describing Bruneau’s writing as the “best I’ve read in a long time.”

Other stories are characterized by introspection, self-deprecation, tenderness and appreciation of legacy.  

Bruneau lived in Rhinelander until his early 20s. Several of his stories were inspired by that time and the local residents who helped him learn important life lessons.

“I moved away many years ago, but that’s where I spent most of my critical formative years,” he said.  “I still have many great memories of friends, teachers and others who helped me along the way.”

To learn more, visit danbruneaubooks.com.