Writing on the Small Scale
I am a bit cynical about “flash” or “micro” fiction. So much of it feels half-baked to me, or like the first potential-filled sentence of something that ultimately feels unsatisfying. But I just bought this book — Hint Fiction. (It’s on sale for $4.50 Amazon, if you’re curious. Even the price, it seems, is micro.) It’s probably the best shot at an ultra-short-form fiction collection that I’ve seen. Another unintended benefit: I read the whole thing cover to cover on the subway in 45 minutes.
This story in particular made me swoon. It reminded me, in a roundabout way, of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia.
Shipwrecked by Bob Thurber
After we buried the captain, we salvaged the Victrola. It worked, though the mahogany was ruined. Half of us put on dresses. And we danced.
