The Spirit of Barbie
March 26, 2023
Is that image kind of … creepy? Well, yes, in my story “Ghost on the Wall,” just published in The Summerset Review, a Malibu Barbie doll has a malignant influence. The overall story, though, isn’t creepy, I don’t think. There are hints of redemption, spiritualism, even romance. And a ghost named Jellin.
It’s a longish tale, one of my nutty attempts to write a mini-novel in story form, but readers who have the time may enjoy it. In the background is a jealous friendship between two girls from different classes, a theme also prominent in the issue’s story by Kathleen Zamboni McCormick.
A Dog for the Season
April 21, 2020
Despite nagging from the Spirit Animal who presides over this site, it’s been a while since I published a story in which a dog plays a major part. I hope the piece just issued in Cagibi, “The Goodbye Dog,” will make up for that dereliction of duty.
Since canines are one of our comforts during the ongoing pandemic, this is a perfect time to give one a title role.
The story did present a special challenge in that it required translations from two foreign languages: Italian and Boerboel. For any clumsiness therein, I apologize to Dante and to the Spirit Animal, respectively.
Elsewhere in the April issue, I recommend the essay by Robert Close. And the graphic here links to the cover page.
The News from Gridleyville 