Checking Out of Arden

About the Book

In Arden, South Dakota a mere 700 people reside, most of which are old farmers, even older farmers, and the bankers who own most of their earthly possessions. The story begins as Matt Hanens, Arden native, returns home after a five year absence. Matt had become a small time celebrity before leaving town right out of high school, having written a book about what could have been the only interesting event happening there in years.

As Matt enters town, he reflects on childhood memories including his impressions on rural America, his "one hit wonder" novel, and how his life hadn't turned out as he'd expected. He arrives in front of his father's house, sees one of the last two copies of his book Checking Out Of Arden in his car's back seat, and begins to read it.

While Matt was in high school, the area was shocked to hear of the killing of two of its young people by one troubled young man, who shortly after had killed himself. Everything was explained in a note left behind by the killer, 17-year-old Brian Williams, addressed to his best friend Matt. Matt first explains his relationship and impressions of Brian, then includes what he read in the note which details the love triangle leading his friend to murder, and to take his own life.

Through a long night alone with Brian's year-long diary, Matt learns of the jealousy, betrayal and lies which led up to his friend's untimely death, and the terrible secrets Brian Williams had left behind.

About the Author

Ryan Stattelman is a 23-year-old newspaper editor who has used his spare time over the past five years to compile this partially true story about the way life really is in small town America. Begun in his junior year of high school, most of Checking Out of Arden was hand-written in such exotic locales as study halls, city council meetings he'd covered for work, airplanes, and even jail. As Ryan watched his best friend dying of cancer in the late 1990s, he reflected on the terrible things he'd done to him throughout his life, including the most recent stealing of his friend's only love. It turned out she had intended to marry him before Ryan came into the picture, and the author states he believes his friend would have kept on fighting had he not taken the man's life away. Ryan never did have the chance to apologize to his friend before he died, and treated writing this book as sort of a therapeutic experience to help him cope with what he had done and understand why.

"As for myself, I ruined a chance with a wonderful girl at that same time and haven't seen her since," he says.

Residing in his hometown of Clinton, Minnesota, Ryan and fianc Adrienne Harrison will be married this July. He is kept busy not just with writing and work, but enjoying the small town life he's grown up with, and has tried to reflect in his book.

Currently, Ryan is at work on his second novel, which he promises will take far less than the five years spent on Checking Out Of Arden.