Short Stories

So far I have read the following short stories:

"Sir Fleeting" by Lauren Groff

"Children are the Only Ones who Blush" by Joe Meno

and "The Order of Things" by Judy Troy.

Both "Sir Fleeting" and "Children are the Only Ones who Blush" have been published seperatly by One Story. While "The Order of Things" was published in The Pen/ O. Henry Prize Stories of 2009.

"Sir Fleeting" is about a Wisconsin woman's life, as she frequently meets a playboy Argentine, Ancel de Chair. As the woman, whose name is never mentioned, chronicles her failed marriages, the readers realize that Ancel de Chair is connected to every major event in her life. It would make sense that after the death of her third husband, she and Ancel would be together. However, she refuses him and her true desires are never fully known.

“Children are the Only Ones who Blush” is about a very strange relationship between twins, in which the female twin outshines her brother, causing deep psychological problems. They are sent to couples counseling, but the therapy is mostly for the brother, Jack. Jack is failing high school and had been pulled back a grade, while his “star” sister is attending art school. The story, at its core, is about family dynamics.

“The Order of Things” is about a preacher who is having an adulterous affair with a married woman who goes to his church. He does not believe it is a sin, because he loves the woman. I could not connect to the story because I did not understand the preacher and his reasoning.

I don't think I have "found" the story that I want to write about yet, so I will be reading more stories.

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