Provincetown Stories
Provincetown Stories is a richly textured collection of short fiction set in one of America’s most iconic—and contradictory—towns. Across beaches, bars, back alleys, and narrow streets, Russ López follows characters searching for belonging, reinvention, love, and survival in a place that offers both freedom and reckoning.
By turns humorous, tender, and unsparing, the stories reveal Provincetown as a living community shaped by history, desire, resilience, and chosen family—a literary portrait of a town that has long drawn those willing to live at the margins.
Coming March 2026
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Provincetown Stories
A vibrant, intimate portrait of one of America’s most iconic towns.
Provincetown Stories captures the eccentric charm of Ptown and the stunning beauty of Cape Cod. Set in a densely packed, three-block-wide, three-mile-long seaside town, these stories unfold across its vibrant clubs, sun-soaked beaches, bustling streets, and sparkling waters—where drama, humor, and heart are always in full supply.
From longtime locals to fleeting visitors, unforgettable characters bring Provincetown to life: Aurora, the town’s gentle healer of broken hearts; Jackson, a self-absorbed demon twink; Cee, a quiet soul searching for a place free from judgment; and Luna the immortal, who holds the town’s chaos at bay.
Some stories will make you laugh, others will move you or highlight deeper social truths. But at the heart of them all is the town itself—its natural beauty and the extraordinary people who call it home, whether for a lifetime, a season, or just a night or weekend.
Publication Details:
Hardback: $27.95 — ISBN 979-8-9913704-9-3
Paperback: $19.95 — ISBN 979-8-9913704-8-6
eBook: $9.99 — ISBN 979-8-9913704-7-9
Audiobook: $14.95 — ISBN 979-8-9932455-9-1
218 pages | Trim: 6" x 9"
Publication Date: March 1, 2026
Genre: Fiction / Short Stories / LGBTQ / Travel
What People Are Saying About Provincetown Stories
Fun Facts About Provincetown Stories
Provincetown as Protagionist
While the book features a wide cast of characters, the town itself functions as the unifying presence—its streets, seasons, tides, and contradictions shaping every story.
Myth Meets Modern Life
The collection loosely follows the arc of the Provincetown calendar, from arrival to departure, mirroring how the town fills, empties, and transforms across the year.
Many Years in the Making
Although the stories vary in tone and subject, many were written over a long period of time, shaped by decades of observation, research, and lived experience in Provincetown.
A Tribute and a Reckoning
Some of the most emotionally charged stories were inspired by the AIDS crisis and its long aftershocks, honoring lives lost while capturing the resilience of those who survived.
Reading Group & Book Club Guide
Provincetown Stories works well for book clubs, reading groups, and community discussions. Because the collection spans many voices and moments, it invites conversation rather than a single interpretation. See some discussion topics below.
Belonging and Reinvention:
Many characters arrive in Provincetown searching for something. What are they hoping to find, and do they succeed?
Memory and Loss
How do grief, nostalgia, and history influence the emotional tone of the collection? Which stories lingered with you the longest, and why?
Myth and Realism
How did the blending of the surreal with everyday life affect your reading experience? Did it deepen your understanding of the characters or setting?
Community and Contradiction
Provincetown is portrayed as glamorous, chaotic, welcoming, and lonely—sometimes all at once. How do these contradictions coexist in the book?