Category Archives: Read Short Fiction
TROUBLE IN LOVE? CHECK OUT READ SHORT FICTION’S “DOG FARTS AND DANCER GIRLS”
Brady Allen’s “Dog Farts and Dancer Girls” is a comment on what can break down in a romantic relationship—often, it’s what’s never said.
I love the mood in this piece; I can feel the weight of what’s unspoken in that car in the first scene—even though I’m not quite sure what it is right off the bat, I know that it’s something monumental, something that threatens to split this couple in half. If you’ve got trouble in love, this story might just give you some ideas on what you shouldn’t do.
Check it out at Read Short Fiction here: http://bit.ly/ktuDxc
DOWN ABOUT YOUR LIFE? CHECK OUT “THE MINX” ON READ SHORT FICTION!
Cassandra Dunn’s short story “The Minx” is up at Read Short Fiction, and if your winter blues aren’t fading fast enough, this piece might be just the right pick-me-up!
What I love about this piece is its pervasive sense of sadness. The speaker laments her own life, but is realistic about how her choices got her to that life–yet there’s a piece of her that wishes she were someone else. And really, who hasn’t done that at least once or twice? Well, the end might surprise you.
Check it out here: http://www.readshortfiction.com/2011/03/the-minx-by-cassandra-dunn/
PUT SOME MURDER IN YOUR MARCH
“Beware the Ides of March” has new meaning!
Judy Viertel’s “Man Murders Wife” is now up at Read Short Fiction—while it doesn’t have the hallmarks of a ghost story, it is a testament to the idea that subtle is better, and it will haunt me for many days to come. Don’t miss it! http://www.readshortfiction.com/2011/03/man-murders-wife-by-judy-viertel/
“THE HEARTBREAK NEXT DOOR” ON READ SHORT FICTION
Whether you recall your first young love or not, Read Short Fiction’s first February feature—the young adult short “The Heartbreak Next Door” by S.G. Rogers—is a reminder that our hearts were fragile from the very beginning—it’s a touching little reminder that we never really grow up. You can check it out here:
http://www.readshortfiction.com/2011/02/the-heartbreak-next-door-by-s-g-rogers/
NEED TO RE-TREAD YOUR RESOLUTION? CHECK THIS OUT AT READ SHORT FICTION
So…how are you doing with your New Year’s Resolution(s)? Plugging away? Struggling? Or have you given up already?
Joseph Auslander’s “A Goal for Goals” at Read Short Fiction just might put what you’re up against into perspective—or give you that “oomph” you need.
This story quite literally cracked me up when I read it, and I remember thinking I hadn’t read anything this outrageous, clever, and funny in a long time. And yet, in a very scary way, I also identified with this character—I found this piece an excellent example of how an exaggerated character in a story can absolutely work. There’s a little bit of this guy in all of us, probably, whether we want to admit it or not, and he’s one I won’t be forgetting any time soon.
Check it out at
http://www.readshortfiction.com/2011/01/a-goal-for-goals-by-joseph-auslander-jr/
BACK TO WORK? THIS MIGHT HELP…
The Holidays are over, and for many of us that means heading back to work–even if it’s maybe not a job, but a routine. It’s taken me a little while to get things going again, but after having taken a break for awhile it’s also meant the ability to see things with fresh eyes.
This month at Read Short Fiction, we’ve got a great short story called The Limo Driver’s Diary by A.J. Profeta that reminds us a day at work might not always be routine. And it’s also a reminder that we often don’t think about the secret inner lives of Limo Drivers or cabbies, and yet they are the ones on the road every day, all day long, which leaves them with a great deal of time, I’m sure, to reflect on their lives, the lives of others, and the state of the world around them. That’s what appealed to me most about this story. This Limo Driver is very human, and a day on the job for him, on many occasions, means facing his own mortality, fragility, and age. I found this a very poignant reminder that this highway we’re on called life doesn’t always take us where we want to go, but where we’re supposed to go. I got chills reading this piece.
So, if you’ve got the back to work blues, I suggest you go check it out! You can read it here:
http://www.readshortfiction.com/2010/12/the-limo-drivers-diary-by-aj-profeta/
Enjoy, and hope your 2011 brings you safe travels!
WHAT’S UP AT READ SHORT FICTION: $25 AMAZON GIVEAWAY!
Our Read Short Fiction Facebook page is pretty active—we post NaNo Tips, Writing in the News and of course our magazine’s adventures. Right now, we’re running the “25 Days of Christmas Shorts”—we’re posting a link to one classic Christmas short story per day through Xmas Day. There’s no better time to “Like” our page, right? If that weren’t enough, “Like” our page before December 15 at http://www.facebook.com/readshortfiction
and be automatically entered to win a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. We want to help one lucky winner stock a friend’s bookshelf—or his own!
A winner will be chosen by number using www.random.org on December 15, 2010 at 11:59 p.m.
FAMILY HOLIDAY? YOU’LL LOVE THIS…
Family Holiday? You’ll probably recognize a few characters in Bob Shar’s “Snapped” at Read Short Fiction.
I thought this story was a unique take on sibling rivalry and what goes on in families—but what I also loved about this was the dialogue, especially the kids’ dialogue. Sometimes in stories like this, kids’ dialogue can sound stilted. In this case, Shar has nailed it. What a fun read.
Take a break from the craziness and check it out at http://www.readshortfiction.com/2010/11/snapped-by-bob-shar/
LOVE RAY BRADBURY?
Sometimes a reunion with a long-lost love isn’t a good idea. Gary Carter’s “Long Time Gone” is up NOW at Read Short Fiction! If you love Ray Bradbury, don’t miss this one: http://bit.ly/bqQ9u3
MAKE “A SAFE DEPOSIT” AT READ SHORT FICTION!
Mark Charney’s “A Safe Deposit” is now up on Read Short Fiction! Head on over and find out why some mail is better left unread: http://bit.ly/biQofA
