And There's Been Talk . . . is a collection of snapshots centered around the lives of those living in the Midwest spanning a total of fifty years. This collection of short stories explores family ties, family expectations, work promotions and demotions, jail break and all that follows, and a variety of other life’s obstacles. McEwen’s writing style is raw and eccentric. His word choice and style allows his stories to be easily read and processed. He brings the characters to life easily and creates a laugh-out-loud novel. McEwen provides the reader with an inside look into life in the Midwest from the Irish-set Montana in 1920 all the way Indiana, South Dakota, and Nebraska in the 1970’s and on. And There's Been Talk . . . is a fast-paced, descriptive, and must-read account of life in the Midwest told from a variety of different socioeconomic backgrounds, family situations, and ties that bind us together. R. F. MCEWEN  was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1945. Since 1962 he has been a professional logger and tree trimmer, working trees throughout the United States as well as in, during the late 1960’s, Guyana, South America. In 1972 he began teaching Middle School English in Chadron, Nebraska, and is currently a professor of English at Chadron State College. His work has appeared in numerous journals, including Kansas Quarterly, The Prairie Schooner, Melville Extracts and in The Yellow Nib .