Aaron Gwyn currently teaches creative writing and contemporary American literature in the English Department at UNC Charlotte, but his identity as a writer was forged in the American West. He grew up on a ranch in Oklahoma. His experiences on the ranch naturally led him to take an interest in the history of the American frontier.
Aaron’s familiarity with the history and landscape of the American Southwest is reflected in many of his stories. In 2020, for example, he published a novel titled All God’s Children: A Novel of the American West. Set largely in Texas between 1827 and 1847, All God’s Children braids together the stories of three characters who are drawn to the Texas frontier where they form a complex relationship. Their lives are shaped by the transformation of Texas from a province of Mexico to an independent republic to becoming the 28th state in 1845.
Aaron returns to the Texas frontier in his latest story, a novella titled The Cannibal Owl. Loosely based on the childhood of a historical figure named Levi English, The Cannibal Owl tells the story of boy who runs away from an abusive home situation. In his wanderings, “he stumbled onto a band of Comanche out on the broken plains.” What follows is a stressful encounter, but eventually the Comanche decide to take him in.
In describing this novella, the publisher, Belle Point Press, discusses how the theme of belonging figures in The Cannibal Owl:
Drifting through the broken plains of 1820s Texas, Aaron Gwyn’s latest venture into the American frontier tells a riveting coming-of-age story. Inspired by the real-life figure Levi English, a settler who ran away to live with the Comanche (Nermernuh) People as a young boy, The Cannibal Owl follows his journey of not quite belonging within a community that is nevertheless kinder to him than his own family. When Levi is eventually forced to confront growing tensions among the tribal leaders, he must make difficult choices about loyalty and self-preservation amidst deep grief and unrelenting violence. A novella of cinematic prose steeped in Native culture, Levi’s story evokes reflections on the complexities of identity against a stunning Southern Plains landscape.
For readers who want to know more about The Cannibal Owl, please click on the following link: https://bellepointpress.com/products/the-cannibal-owl
I congratulate Arron on the publication The Cannibal Owl. As the publication of this novella demonstrates, Storied Charlotte extends far and wide, and there is plenty of room for the story of a boy growing up on the Texas frontier.