Shorts

  “An Interview with Mary Ward Brown” Interview, Alabama English, Fall 1990, Vol. 2, No. 2

This is the first piece of writing I ever published. I wrote it for a graduate class at Auburn University in 1989.
The professor of the course suggested I submit it for publication. Ms. Brown gave several interesting answers,
but what has stayed with me through the years are her thoughts concerning her desire to write.
She possessed a desire to write as a young adult, had some early publication success, quit to take care of her
family, then picked it up again when her life’s circumstances fell into place.

“Taking on Water” Short Story, Short Stories Bimonthly, October 1999

At this point in my writing journey, 14 years after I first began to write fiction, I was very frustrated from the hundreds of rejections.
I had received from magazine editors, book editors, and literary agents. A novel and a handful of short stories had all been rejected
many times. Receiving that acceptance letter from the editor of this small literary magazine changed everything in my writing world.

“Stand by Your Man” Short Story, Southern Exposure, Fall 1999, Vol. XXVII, No. 3

Set in Dothan, Alabama, the story was the first time I had been paid for a piece of fiction.
A version of this story was published in Ardor

“Something You Should Know About” Short Story, Hawaii Review, Fall 2000, Issue 55, Vol. 23.2

“Kryptonite” Short Story, RE:AL, Spring 2001, Vol. XXVI, No. 1

A version of this story was published in Ardor
This story was nominated for a Pushcart Prize

“Waiting” Short Story, Berkeley Fiction Review, 2002, Issue 22

A version of this story was published in Ardor

“Freezing Rain” Short Story, First Class, 2002, Issue 19

“Coming Clean” Short Story, The blue Review, Winter 2003, Issue 2

“Lester Lies Down” Short Story, RE:AL, Fall 2003, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2

A version of this story is the first chapter of Lester Lies Down

“Hey, Good Lookin’” Short Story, Snake Nation Review, 2003, No. 16

A version of this story was published in Ardor

“A Morning Stroll” Short Story, Dead Mule, September 2007

A version of this story was published in Ardor

This story contains the characters of Lester and his children who are the focus of Lester Lies Down

“There Isn’t Any Right Now” Short Story, Dead Mule, February 2008

“The Red Convertible Porsche” Essay, The Provo Canyon Review, Spring 2013, Vol. 1, Issue 2

“Turn the Other Cheek” Short Story, The Provo Canyon Review, Summer 2014, Vol. 2, Issue 3

“Ruby Sweet” Short Story, littledeathlit, Winter 2018

A version of this story is a chapter in Lester Lies Down

“Merry Christmas” Short Story, Finding the Birds, Summer 2020

“Niagra” Short Story, The Wax Paper, Spring 2021, Vol. 4, Issue 12  

A version of this story is a chapter in Lester Lies Down