Featured Stories

Dead End

Dead End: Short story by Rudolfo AnayaThe protagonist of this coming of age story by Rudolfo Anaya faces a difficult decision: to honor a promise made to her dying mother, or risk ending a budding romance with the most sought after boy in school. Whichever choice she makes is likely to lead to a “dead end” of sorts. She comes close to a decision while ‘making out’ with the boy in his car. Fortunately, a childhood memory and plaintive sob from a passing bag lady help clear her mind. Themes: determination, family responsibility, dreams (a better future vs. ‘fitting in’ with the gang), sexuality, life choices

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2 B R 0 2 B

2BR02B: Short story by Kurt VonnegutKurt Vonnegut liked to write about imaginary worlds. Some time ago we featured Harrison Bergeron, another Vonnegut story. This was about a dystopian world; a world where most people are unhappy and afraid because they are not treated fairly. In 2BR02B, Earth at first appears perfect. There are no poor, no slums, no prisons, no wars. There is no insanity, disability or disease. Even aging has been cured. Everything is wonderful… unless you want to bring a child into the world. As the story develops, we soon see that this utopian sounding future masks yet another dystopian society.

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The Red Convertible

The Red Convertible: Short story by Louise ErdrichThe titular car in this confronting coming of age story by Louise Erdrich symbolizes freedom and the youthful bonding of Native-American half-brothers Lyman and Henry. Lyman is good with money and responsible. Henry is older, stronger, and more impulsive. On buying the car, they take a summer road-trip through the wilds of Montana before picking up a hitchhiker and driving her all the way home to Alaska. Upon their return, Henry is drafted and sent to Vietnam. He comes back a changed man, suffering a downward spiral of depression and despair. Themes: brotherhood, youth, freedom, PTSD, alienation, suicide, loss.

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Meneseteung

Meneseteung: Short story by Alice MunroIn this story by Alice Munro, an unreliable narrator purports to describe the adult life of a woman whose family moved to the wilds of Canada West (modern day Ontario) in 1854. Alone in the world following the death of her father, she publishes a book of poems and initially lives an ordered, contented life. One morning a traumatic discovery introduces her to the dark side of humanity and drives her into isolation and madness. Themes include gender roles in the 19th century Canadian West, art and the artist, alienation, loneliness, gossip, violence.

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Neighbours

Neighbours: Short story by Moe Moe (Inya)Set in 1970s Burma, this story by Moe Moe (aka Inya) uses the experiences of a young couple with a four-month-old child to explore the theme of “neighborliness”. Moving to the suburbs after living with family “downtown”, they find the neighbors friendly and helpful but also experience incidences of prying, malicious gossip, quarreling, greed, and pressure to keep up appearances. Moving to an apartment closer to the city, they find an individualistic environment where nobody even talks to their neighbors. This leaves the poor protagonist with no idea what sort of neighborhood she wants to live in.

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A Manual for Cleaning Women

A Manual for Cleaning Women: Short story by Lucia BerlinDespite the title, this entertaining first-person narrative by Lucia Berlin focuses more on how to cope with being a cleaning woman than how to do the job. Major themes are the humanity of domestic workers, and the crucial role they can play in client households. The protagonist shares the frustrations of her work, the mind games and other devices she uses to deal with them, the pain of losing her partner, and her habit of stealing sleeping pills from clients for a rainy day. Other themes: camaraderie, life of the city poor, class, loss and loneliness.

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Stone Mattress

Stone Mattress: Short story by Margaret AtwoodFrom the opening line of this Margaret Atwood story (At the outset Verna had not intended to kill anyone), we know someone will die. An woman who has become wealthy by helping four elderly husbands depart not only happy but grateful, if a little sooner than might have been expected, treats herself to an arctic cruise. Everything changes at the pre-cruise meet-and-greet, when she recognizes a man who had brutally raped her fifty years earlier. He doesn’t recognize her, and she begins to plot the perfect murder. Themes include rape, self-righteousness, resilience, seduction and manipulation, anger, violence, revenge, aging.

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Rain Frogs

Rain Frogs: Short story by Shiga NaoyaIn this story from Shiga Naoya, the naïve wife of a rural businessman is either seduced by or coerced into having sex with a predatory novelist. Surprisingly, in addition to appearing remarkably understanding, the woman’s husband is sexually aroused by her experience. The woman’s reaction is equally surprising. Initially, she is described as being a pleasure to look at but having no light in her tea-brown eyes. After the encounter, she has a knowing smile and “dreamy” eyes, as of someone experiencing a very sweet dream. Themes: tradition, attitudes to women in Japanese society, lack of fulfillment, sexual predation.

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