Memoirous

2024 is off to a fruitful start—yet not so much new writing from this writer. Pure of Heart came out in February in Fathom . A very sweet short story (14 min. read) about a simple girl, in terms applied from the past: a servant, who become ingrained into a family of middle-class means and how that relationship touches every member. I was inspired by Flaubert’s story "A Simple Heart". A few weeks ago my piece The Yellow House appeared in both the print and online journal Of Rust and Glass. After reading Rachel Cusk’s novel Second Place , I was inspired to attempt something similar. The brilliance of the novel was that it kept the reader guessing, I kept thinking something was going to happen, perhaps a murder or falling out, something to reward the reader for reading to the last page. But nothing. A kind of bait and switch, or just baiting. In the end people disappoint us, we’re disappointing, the narrative is quotidian.   Coin-Operated Press has accepted The Machine W...

Check out Pure of Heart online at Fa thom. Fathom has an ambitious mission: Our goal is to approach everything we publish with an eye for intellect, wonder, and story and a conviction that our beliefs have consequences for ourselves, our communities, and the world. Our hope is that in the wonder of God’s presence, we can help one another cultivate an embodied faith that furthers the kingdom of heaven on earth. Somehow there was a mix-up and they accepted one of my pieces and I discovered they’d actually put it up without having ok’d. Usually there is a bit back and forth if a submission is accepted for publication. For instance, this particular piece had already found a home when I made the discovery. I had Furtive take it down. But— I sent them Pure of Heart as it also represented the themes they advanced. Thankfully it was accepted and now is out. From the story: One night on the “L” train, the car she was sitting in emptied out. A man got on at Clark & Division. She ...

I can’t believe I’m complaining. This year has been a roller coaster of acceptances for my short stories and micro nonfiction pieces. Maybe elevator is more the analogy, a sideways one. The average so far has been one acceptance a month. Actually a little more because 1)       I haven’t done the best job of keeping track 2)       Journals/editors have also not taken the time to do due diligence in contacting me about my work This has always been the case. I’ve gotten a lot better about tracking my submissions and entering all rejections, pending, acceptances electronically into the grid system. When I do have an acceptance I try to withdraw the piece immediately from other places. Recently, I discovered examples of both of the above. I got an acceptance and said yes. Then forgot. And it was accepted elsewhere where I said yes, again, and then withdrew it, forgetting totally about the former “yes.” The second time was the fault ...