Jeffrey Dunn Weaves Life Into Story
- Stephen rocketfish@like-media.com
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
An exploration of freedom and place in his newest novel, Whiskey Rebel
By Like Media Team
Jeffrey Dunn has spent a lifetime weaving experience into story. With a Ph.D. in English Literature and Cultural Studies, a 41-year teaching career, and an upbringing rooted in nature, he carries a unique perspective into every novel he writes. "Everything is an influence," Dunn says. Each phase has shaped his work from childhood under trees and alongside streams to graduate studies that deepened his understanding of human and natural history. Teaching teenagers, he adds, became a living laboratory—a place where the seeds of creativity, exploration, and voice could grow.
In embracing his dyslexia, Dunn reframes what many call a disability. "The ‘dyslexic’ mind is an evolutionary adaptation of great value," he explains. Visualizing, associating, storytelling—these have been the building blocks of human survival long before literacy took center stage. Dunn’s approach to writing honors this heritage, treating creativity not as a struggle against traditional expectations but as a natural way of being.
His upcoming novel, Whiskey Rebel, releasing May 6, 2025, is born out of a road trip memory and a landscape so otherworldly it begged for a story. Driving along Washington's Columbia River, his wife recalled living near Moses Coulee—an isolated, almost lunar expanse. That moment planted the seed for a story questioning the American ideal of freedom. The novel pairs a shell-shocked Iraqi war veteran with a hyperactive descendent of the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, sending them into the heart of the coulee to build a still and search for meaning. "All rollicking good fun really," Dunn says, "as well as a bit to chew on, if you're so inclined."
Setting is never just a backdrop in Dunn’s novels. In Whiskey Rebel, the wild geology and natural history of Central and Eastern Washington become central to the story’s spirit. Dunn's passion for place is palpable, whether he’s channeling the misty forests of the Olympic Peninsula in Radio Free Olympia or capturing the grit and lyrical beauty of Appalachia in Wildcat: An Appalachian Romance.
Dunn's work has found audiences through NPR, Medium, Substack, and local literary events in Spokane. Beyond exposure, these platforms have deepened his connection with readers hungry for stories that challenge and expand their views of culture, nature, and self. He regularly shares new writings under his name and as Culture Raven, offering cultural critiques, surreal short stories, and reflections on feral Christianity and music.
Dunn offers advice grounded in creative authenticity for aspiring writers in the Inland Northwest. He encourages writers to foster an expansive awareness of nature, art, and people, allowing writing to grow organically rather than adhering strictly to format or convention. "Writing comes like a flower emerging from ever-expanding roots in the soil," he says. His daily rhythm involves drafting and revising 300 words at a time, nurturing work that evolves over the years if needed, always returning, pruning, and refining.
Dunn will celebrate the launch of Whiskey Rebel with a "Book Launch Event and Signing" at Spokane’s Auntie's Bookstore on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 6 pm. Readers can find his work at bookstores, on Amazon, and through his website, JeffreyDunnSpokane.com.
Looking ahead, Dunn is already immersed in a new magical realism project set in Spokane. The story follows two characters—Anise Finocchia, who navigates life with her eyes closed, and Spokane Patrick, a reincarnated Saint Patrick—weaving a surreal, layered narrative that promises to captivate with its imaginative reach. Dunn remains anchored in a deep love for place, story, and the ever-expanding doors of perception.
Jeffrey Dunn
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