Tales of a Vanishing River by Earl H. Reed is a stunning collection of short stories and sketches. Although the names of people and places have been changed, the inspiration for this collection comes from the author's time spent near the Kankakee River in Northwest Indiana. It is expertly written and a surprisingly humorous, fictitious account of life in the area. Tales include The Vanishing River, The silver arrow, The brass-bound box, The "wether book" of Buck Granger's grandfather, Tipton Posey's store, Muskrat Hyatt's redemption, The Turkey Club, The predicaments of Colonel Peets, and His unlucky star.

"After living in San Francisco for fifteen years, journalist Gordon Young found himself yearning for his Rust Belt hometown: Flint, Michigan, the birthplace of General Motors and the “star” of the Michael Moore documentary Roger & Me. Hoping to rediscover and help a place that had once boasted one of the world’s highest per capita income levels but had become one of the country's most impoverished and dangerous cities, he returned to Flint with the intention of buying a house. What he found was a place of stark contrasts and dramatic stories, where an exotic dancer could afford a lavish mansion, speculators scooped up cheap houses by the dozen on eBay, and arson was often the quickest route to neighborhood beautification. He also uncovered the misguided policies, flawed leadership, and unforgiving economic trends that lead to disasters like the Flint water crisis. Updated with a new preface, Young skillfully blends personal memoir, historical inquiry, and interviews with Flint residents, constructing a vibrant tale of a once-thriving city still fighting - despite overwhelming odds - to rise from the ashes. Hard-hitting, insightful, and often painfully funny, Teardown reminds us that cities are ultimately defined by the people who live there."--Back cover.