James R. Gapinski

author, editor, educator

Books & Chapbooks

Book cover for "The Last Dinosaurs of Portland"

The Last Dinosaurs of Portland

Bottlecap Press, May 2021

The Last Dinosaurs of Portland contains ten stories set within cascading surrealist versions of Portland, Oregon. New bridges sprout across Portland; a sabertooth cat roars atop the Moda Center; a cavalcade of matching bicycles pour into the Willamette River.

Fruit Rot

Etchings Press, July 2020

In this modern fable, a comic book writer and his artsy partner discover a magical tree in their backyard, able to cure any ailment with a single bite—but when the fruit rots, it reveals darker properties.

Edge of the Known Bus Line

Etchings Press, May 2018

In Edge of the Known Bus Line, a woman’s daily commute takes an abrupt turn when she’s dropped off in a grotesque shantytownThe narrator searches for a way out of this surreal hellscape while dredging up a few nightmares of her own.

Messiah Tortoise

Red Bird Chapbooks, January 2018

Messiah Tortoise contains ten linked stories, each taking place in the same zoo. Amid a collection that is fundamentally animalistic, readers gain several glimpses into what it means to be human.