Friday Mar 29

During December of 999 AD, worldly goods were sold and given to the poor, swarms of pilgrims headed east to meet the god of their dreams in Jerusalem, buildings went unrepaired, crops were left unplanted, and criminals were set free from jails. 999 AD turned into 1000 AD and surprise? The previously well-off were now destitute and the poor, no longer poor. Those who had been locked up were roaming with those who most likely should have been locked up and it was business as usual, although without the crops.

So what happens on 12/12/12? According to some predictions, the world has already ended, so may I congratulate those of you who have made it through. I hope to spontaneously combust. No need to search for farmers that survived when you’ve got ‘Trader Joe’s’ or ‘Albertsons.’ Just don’t forget to freeze your produce.

I enjoyed checking out some of the more than 200 end-of-the-world predictions and yet here I am, still typing away. So until that designated time approaches again I bring you some mesmerizing work by six sublime writers.

Luke Rolfes is our mid-December featured fiction writer. He delivers three exceptional flash stories, “Midwest America,” “Bunny Man Bridge,” and “Come Together,” that move us through the stages of a lifetime in these unforgettable pieces. Get to know more about Luke in our interview.

Nancy Stohlman gives us two brilliantly surreal stories, “What Happened in the Library?” and “My House is in the Contemporary Art Museum.”

Marcus Speh submerges us in the empty promises and lies in a failed relationship and yet still the hope for a new one to arise in his three micro-flash, “Seagull,” “Amour Fou,” and “Bogey.”

MaryAnne Kolton skillfully takes us by the hand through the lifespan of a doomed marriage in “Artistic Failings.”

Matthew Guerrucky leads us on a heartbreaking trail in his short story “Trail of Fire.”

Nicky Ellam breathes new life into ‘Cinder-fucking-ella’ through the eyes of one of the stepsister’s inside story of what really went on and how hellish to live in the shadows of this dreary dreg of innocence.

 

Thank you to all these amazing writers for sending Connotation Press some of their awesomeness! Hope you enjoy (in the off periods when you’re not out foraging for food and liquor).