Book Review: 'Release of Information and Other Linked Stories' by Kali White VanBaale

For her latest collection of short stories, Kali White VanBaale bolts out of the gates with the attention-grabbing, slice-of-life “Hyatt and the Arch.” She doesn’t slow her literary gait until the final page of the final piece, “Hyatt Pune.” Between these two offerings is a wealth of storytelling, enriched by the interplay and shared context of the pieces — these are linked stories, after all. Her characters, all firmly rooted in the modern Midwest, are instantly identifiable and relatable.

VanBaale is the 2025 Iowa Author Award Recipient, and is at the top of her game. Across 13 stories, she explores each character’s secrets, life-altering discoveries and a wealth of tangled paths. Release of Information (Cornerstone Press) is brimming with familiar themes. For those that grew up in Iowa or its surrounding states, this collection is filled with recognizable people, places and happenings.

The mystique comes in how deftly the author delivers each story. “targetdown#” follows a new mother in a Minnesota Target indulging in old habits; “Hyatt at the Arch,” about an anesthesiologist on a work trip, feels like a mini-series distilled into a few pages, set in the confines of a hotel elevator.

In “Caricatures,” VanBaale follows a small enclave of artists in their annual gathering at a state fair. “It’s art, but also commerce, and time is money,” reads an early line. Written with a brilliant story-within-a-story flair, VanBaale’s writing unfurls a micro-drama filled with impact and poignancy. One of the most compelling stories, although the competition is stiff, is “Bijou.” With razor-sharp precision, this story captures a tumultuous relationship in the throes of hidden, contradictory motivations.

VanBaale’s work is a Whitman’s Sampler of emotions across 13 works. She is a master at crystallizing “normal” people and circumstances into revelatory, extraordinary storytelling.

One would be hard-pressed not to occasionally pause when reading Release of Information to reflect on their own life, or some past memory jostled awake from the relatable content. VanBaale’s eloquent, evocative prose presses the reader to recall and perhaps link their own past traumas, secrets and life choices.