The long and the short about The Long and the short:
Entering any story for the first time is like walking through a doorway into a place you never knew existed. No matter its length, the world of the short story — when done right — provides a traveler with a visit that feels too short, though is really just right.
Inside this book you’ll visit old farms, suburban homes, laboratories of the future, familiar neighborhoods just like the one where your funny aunt lives.
You’ll walk the hot fields of the deep south, frozen cabins in the far north, the war-torn deserts of Iraq and the cool shadows of Venice. If you’re going to take short trips, why repeat locales?
Here are a few doors:
Then It Was:
“He didn’t die, he said.”
“What do you mean he didn’t die?”
In Defense of Mom
“I never thought it was an accident, although it’s true the brakes weren’t really all that good.”
The Homecoming of Cousin Charlie
The afternoon crackled with bastards and bitches.
Waltz by Cricket, Song of Knave
While the white big moon smiles in a blue blue night, and a cricket on the brickwork sings and plays, and so on and so on, Candace naked on the balcony combs her pubic hair with a tortoise shell comb.
Surah’s Well
Corsey’d been the one who’d asked, What you think a raghead thinks right when you shoot him?
The Aliens Will Win
It begins simply enough. Tomatoes start coming through the ceiling, armed with electric arrows that shoot out of their hands.
An End to End All Ends
I had repaired to my cabin on Kootenay Lake to get apart from everyone, from all the fuss, for I had been so unfortunate as to win a Nobel.
Website: http://www.charlesbechtel.com
Born: Spring Lake, North Carolina, April, 1953, fourth day, five minutes past midnight (thus late for my parents’ anniversary, which set a behavioral standard for all such future events.)
Educated: A long while back, when colleges offered to improve human beings attending their classes, not merely dedicate themselves to making a person employable. Ahh, the good old days.
Undergraduate degree: English.
Master degree: English.
Marriage: To Manuela, the finest woman on Earth, by the accounts of many more than myself. Two daughters: Elizabeth (Baby Beth) and Manuela (Meme), who each in turn delivered into my life some ladies of inestimable worth: Sky (b. 2003) Lucy (b. 2007) and Mia (b. 2008.) Though I gave to each huge chunks of my heart, doing so increased heart size.
Work History: Let’s say I worked.
What I do for fun:Everything. If it is not fun, I quickly stop doing it. (see Work, above)
Writing Philosophy: Make sense by appealing to the senses.
