BOB THURBER: The Breathtaking Stink of This World

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

I asked my father what he’d miss most and he talked about the odors of men, and the fragrances of women, about the distinct aromas places held for the time you were in them — crowded rooms, vacant houses, city streets after a thunder shower, country roads during a heavy snow.

Over the years Bob Thurber’s work has received a long list of awards and prizes. His most recent book is a collection of brief stories titled “Nothing But Trouble.” His first novel, “Paperboy: A Dysfunctional Novel,” was recently rereleased. Visit BobThurber.net.

CANDACE KUBINEC: The Facade

Submissions, Touching, , ,

It was the ghost of a smile you tried to hide behind a calloused hand. That was the first crack in your prickly facade: a secret sense of humor you tried valiantly to keep in check.

When that grand guffaw was set free, I knew you had a tenderness inside.

Candace Kubinec says: Go ahead, laugh out loud. You’ll feel better.

MARCUS BENJAMIN RAY BRADLEY: For Sybil Catherine

Submissions, Touching, , ,

“Dada?”

“Yes, honey? Do you know that I love you more than anyone ever will? One day you’ll get married but… I’ve known you since the second you were born. That will be some guy you just met, in the grand scheme of things.”

“Dada,” said my 10-month-old in agreement.

Marcus Benjamin Ray Bradley grew up in Perryville and now lives in Versailles, KY, with his wife and daughters. Other work can be found in the pages of Chiron Review and Five 2 One magazine as well as online at the Kentucky Arts Council and here at Fifty Word Stories websites.

STORY OF THE MONTH: September 2016

News

The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.

The finalists for September were:

Tatouage by Darren Lester
Intent by Perry McDaid
Moving On by Mark Farley
Surrender by Gwendolyn Jacob

The winner of the September 2016 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…

Moving On

I don’t think we’ve ever had someone win back-to-back Story of the Month honours, but Mark has stepped up his game big time with these entries. Can’t wait to see what comes next!

VIV BURGESS: A Sense of Homer

Amusing, Submissions, , , , ,

For ten years Penelope weaves her tapestry daily, unpicking it nightly, while Odysseus, tossed by tide and fortune, struggles to reach home.

Landing, he slaughters her besieging suitors.

She’s furious. “Where have you been?”

Bristling, he retorts, “Haven’t you finished that darned tapestry yet?”

It’s like he’s never been away.

Viv Burgess is finding the brain cell is flagging a bit these days. She obviously needs more tea and cake.

GUY PRESTON: First Thing in the Morning

Amusing, Submissions, ,

After her diagnosis, Grandma would wake at six and scuttle to the newsagents. She’d struggle back up the hill, spread the local Guardian across the table, and scour the obituaries before breakfast.

“That’s why I get the paper,” she’d explain with a wink. “To make sure I’m not in it.”

Guy has not been in the paper yet. This is his fourteenth 50-word story.

JOHN H. DROMEY: Indirect Proof of Life

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

For full access to its content and special features, a website required Roy to key in a specific alphanumeric sequence to prove he was not a robot. After several failed attempts to decipher the blurry, unintelligible squiggles, he gave up.

Roy’s android assistant got it right on the first try.

John H. Dromey has had short fiction published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Crimson Streets, Stupefying Stories Showcase, and elsewhere.

DEBBIE L MILLER: Flight

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

My girlfriend’s face is frozen. She’s squeezing my hand like a vise grip. The screeching gets worse. Passengers press call buttons, while flight attendants buzz around like bees willy-nilly, hovering over them. I look out the window. White. Everywhere.

The screeching is deafening, and now blue smoke fills the cabin.

Debbie L. Miller writes from Brooklyn, New York, where she writes short stories, plays, monologues, personal essays, memoir, flash fiction, feature articles, and humor pieces.

STORY OF THE WEEK: October 2

News

The story of the week for September 26 to 30 is…

Wounded by Matthew Eichenlaub

There is so much story told around the edges here, great work using the margins to imply deeper character and meaning.

MARK KONIK: Coffee with the Vines

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

Tarzan sat and gulped his coffee. He could hear Jane calling. If she was cornered by the lion again, it was her own ridiculous fault. He agreed with himself that she was beginning to be high maintenance.

Tarzan finished his coffee, rubbed his face and thought about what he’d do.

Mark Konik is a writer from Canberra, Australia. He mostly writes short plays and short stories.