A Short Story by Joseph Gannon
When the last guard had exited the corridor and the lights in the cell block had been turned off, the prisoners commenced fishing. The fish itself was a small piece of thin green construction paper folded several times around a quarter to give it weight. A small hole had been punched through one corner with a tack, and through this hole was tied a long strip of dental floss which formed the line. With practiced skill the first prisoner stuck his hand through the bars of his cell and began to swing the line, lasso-style, until he had built up enough momentum to propel it down to the next cell. Thus the folded square of paper was passed down the cell block in orderly fashion until it landed in front of Tyler Colvin’s cell.
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Tagged as:
Short Story
Monday arrives on a somber note. The news from Iran, while heartening to some extent, has got us fuddled. Such dramatic events force hard questions. In terms of literature, what can be done immediately, as the protests continue? N+1 tackles the debate of new media and the current of modern language. Maud Newton recalls a revolutionary in her own right and the Guardian serves a dish of hope: If you have a story and you want to publish it and win some money and see your work in a major periodical then get your pages in order and submit to this year’s short story contest. NPR talks about books about Nikita Krushchev, the world’s first reality television star. There’s a powerful new book by Urrea which alerts readers to the Mexican experience, and finally, Thai writers and readers talk about their influences. It’s all good reading, and worthy of your time. It confirms the power of the written word, and lends credence to the struggle for justice the world wide. — Kevin Murphy
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Tagged as:
Literature Contests,
Literature in the Media,
Monday's Body of Work
