The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.
The finalists for October were:
Mother Always Asked Uncle Bart to Babysit by C. Christine Fair
No Returns, Exchanges, or Substitutions by Maria Cargille
The Macy’s Mummy by Graham Robert Scott
Like a Crow by Louella Lester
Grocery Run by Mariya Khan
The winner of the October 2019 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…
Mother Always Asked Uncle Bart to Babysit
As several commenters pointed out, praising or “liking” this story seems wrong somehow, but that’s really the point: it makes us uncomfortable, it even hurts us, but we can’t ignore it. If we do, look at the consequences.
What I appreciate most about this piece is its double-edged sword. There is condemnation of Uncle Art and of the mother: How could you do this? How could you let this happen? And there is also pain spilling out from the narrator to wound those around her: beg me for absolution. The consequences ripple out.
Christine, thank you for sharing this.
Folks: I am so grateful for this and the various comments on the piece. I’m at a loss for words. And I’ve asked that Tim donate the award to a charity that helps Canadian survivors of assault. Thank you so much.
Warmest
Christine
👍🏻
That’s a lovely gesture.
Awesome gesture. Congratulations, Christine!