I’m always amazed at the variety of the fiction that slides into my inbox every week. Sometimes, it’s short. Sometimes, it’s long. Sometimes, it’s super short. Sometimes, it’s super long. Sometimes, I dig the stories. Sometimes, I don’t. Sometimes, I’m bowled over. Always, I save the bowl-over ones for the fiction issue. This month, I’m hoping you too will be bowled over. What makes a piece bowl-over-worthy? I wish I knew. Actually, no I don’t. I don’t want to know the formula. If I knew the formula, I’d be bored, and I don’t like being bored; I like being surprised. I like being shaken out of boredom, and that’s why I read and write.
This issue, I think, shows fiction in all its diversity, from micro fiction to linked flashes to traditional length short stories, and various grey areas in between. Anne Weisgerber serves up a sneak peak of her linked collection of flash fictions, following the life of coder, Chuck. Ben Drevlow, editor of BULL Magazine, digs deep into the world of compulsion and writing, and how easily anyone can become obsessed and stay obsessed with self-harm. Accomplished short-short writer, Francine Witte, spins tiny little tales, and Suzanne Supplee provides a glimpse into abuse and self-induced amnesia. The final piece by Egyptian writer, Riham Adly, takes us into a dreamy world of dentistry and deceit.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!