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Liquid Calling - Published July 12th, 2007 - This story examines the obvious connection between aluminum foil, a Manhattan real estate broker approaching his seventies, and the Cold War. Follow Micheal Morzeny on the last sales call he’ll ever make. This story has a recap.
New York City Marathon - Published July 26th, 2007 - The day of the New York City Marathon brings vast crowds to Manhattan. Some come to run the race. Some come to watch the race. Some come to get drunk and watch the race. And some come knowing full well that there is more than one way to run a marathon.
Part 1: Second Choice - Published August 9th, 2007 - Matthew Huntington’s problems seem to keep growing. Not only is he seeing things in garbage cans but his mentor doesn’t think he’s working up to his full potential, his best friend can’t offer any solace but drunken confusion, and his wife is dying in Central Park. Of course, the fact that Matthew himself died over two decades ago isn’t helping things.
The Rags - Published August 23rd, 2007 - It’s not often that you get to see what happens when a modern day writer attempts to rewrite a literary masterpiece using a laundromat as his setting and talking clothes as his characters. This is probably a good thing. But for those of you who ever wondered what that might look like, this is your story. This story has a recap.
Black Eyed Susan - Published September 6th, 2007 - True love can develop in a number of ways. Sometimes it happens at first sight. Sometimes it takes warm beer, teenage nights at the beach, misunderstood conversations and a lot of persistence. A little luck never hurt either.
Part 2: Three Lessons - Published September 20th, 2007 - Three months after Matthew’s second choice and it’s time for his first test…according to Epp anyway. The world of these two characters expands further here as Epp tries to impart some final lessons to three of his students. This story also sort of makes me think that Matthew and Epp’s world will continue to inspire stories during this project to the point where I’ll basically have written a book. But I’m not committing to that, so don’t quote me. I’m just saying. It’s a rich world and there’s plenty more I could write. (Psst…it’s ten months later and I can confirm that this actually happened just as I thought it might. Keep reading, Matthew and Epp’s story continues below.)
Private Showing - Published October 4th, 2007 - A simple story about a man struggling to deal with loss. This is one of the shortest pieces I’ve ever written. This description will be equally short.
He’ll Always Have Paris - Published October 18th, 2007 - Dorian is the head of a lab researching a breakthrough technology for the treatment of those suffering emotional trauma. But one night he decides that this not-quite-ready-yet treatment would be the perfect thing to fix his failing marriage. Mix The Matrix with the set from the original Frankenstein movie, add a dash of couples therapy, stir, then pour into a tall glass made out of old Twilight Zone episodes and you’ll have a sense of some of the flavors this story calls to mind.
Part 3: Sunrise Over the Dakota - Published November 1st, 2007 - This is the third part of what, in my head, I’m now starting to call the “Matthew and Epp Stories.” The story centers around a conversation between Matthew and Epp as they wait for the sun to rise. Through their talk the events of the past few days are pieced together including Matthew revisiting some old friends, a couple of new characters being introduced, and Epp avoiding being found guilty of murder.
Jacob Checks Out - Published November 15th, 2007 - A confused narrator tries to piece together the life of one of his oldest friends, Jacob. Various parts of Jacob’s life are held up to the light, from childhood through present day, as friends try to find the cracks that eventually led to Jacob’s unconventional exit.
Scarface’s Burden - Published November 29th, 2007 - A reworking of one of Jonathan Coulton’s songs. Explore the various inner workings of a mad genius’s compound through the eyes of his most loyal assistant, Scarface. Between maintenance on the golden submarine, keeping the various departments happy, and getting his boss back on his feet, Scarface has plenty to keep him busy during a long winter day.
Part 4: A Body at Rest - Published December 13th, 2007 - Part 4 of the Matthew and Epp stories. This story centers around a winter morning where Matthew joins a large group of testers all gathered together to watch an important ceremony with Gregor presiding. When talk turns to history we get a glimpse into Epp’s past and some insight into what made Epp the tester he is.
Light-Years Ahead of His Time - Published December 31st, 2007 - This story was published out of sequence because I got somewhat derailed during the Holidays by family and then I got sick and blah blah blah. At some point leading up to this story I decided that I wanted to write something about “worm-holes and morons.” This is the result of that wish.
Mindy and Barkley - Published January 10th, 2008 - For reasons that are no longer very clear to me I decided to write a children’s story for this deadline. Rhyming meter, illustrations, the whole shebang. So this is my attempt at that. It’s a heartwarming tale of a young girl named Mindy, her imaginary friend Barkley, and a blob named Blob.
Part 5: Robin’s Flight - Published January 24th, 2008 - Part 5 of the Matthew and Epp stories. Hints of what Gregor has planned begin to unfold catching a tester named Robin in the middle of things. Meanwhile Matthew and Epp visit with the loves of their pasts.
You’re Allowed to Order Takeout - Published February 7th, 2008 - This was a strange story in a lot of ways. I had to carve this out of very little. It’s short and it’s minimal, but for some reason I can’t stop thinking about it. Basically we visit with Neil, who has just welcomed his second child into the world, and watch as he tries to find his emotional footing again.
Continental Drift - Published February 21st, 2008 - Two people visiting Europe under some not very ideal circumstances wind up brushing up against each other’s lives ever so softly on the moonlit beach of Cannes.
Part 6: The Monk, the Warrior, and the Lord - Published March 6th, 2008 - Part 6 of the Matthew and Epp stories. Gregor arranges a meeting with Kyo to discuss where Kyo stands. While chatting in the back room of a hotel restaurant much is spoken, little is said, and Kyo’s past comes into focus.
Knots - Published March 20th, 2008 - In the course of my job I’ve given a lot of baths to little girls. There aren’t a lot of jobs where this can be considered a normal thing, but as a nanny that’s how it goes. Over the past few years there are few things I’ve come to dread more than having to comb out my girls’ hair once bath time is done. I put myself in their shoes one day and the idea for this story came about. Simple and touching.
The Donkey of Vincento - Published April 3rd, 2008 - I have absolutely no idea how to describe this story. I read a lot. And I’ve read a lot of translations. And they always strike me as being just a little off and missing just a little something. Somehow, with this story, I wound up trying to capture that odd sense of not quite understanding what is happening while reading a classic story from another language. A donkey, a village, a festival, and a simple stupid story of love.
Part 7: Politica del Carciofo - Published April 17th, 2008 - Part 7 of the Matthew and Epp stories. Gregor puts his plans into motion causing trouble for just about everyone. Bartleby has a bad day.
The Pea Pod Gambit - Published May 1st, 2008 - Atticus and Seth have the perfect setup: a three bedroom apartment with a third roommate who is never around because he is always over at his girlfriend’s house. But when their roommate’s relationship ends Seth and Atticus decide to take matters into their own hands in order to get things back to just the way they were.
Uneven Shading - Published May 15th, 2008 - Marshal finds himself unable to concentrate at work, and what’s worse, he’s come to realize that he’s disappearing from view entirely. When his boss takes note Marshal is sent home to try and figure out where the rest of him is.
Part 8: Osmosis - Published May 29th, 2008 - In the chaotic aftermath of Gregor’s first steps everyone finds themselves stepping back to try and figure out just what has happened. Groups on both sides begin to filter through their information while Kyo goes on a hunting trip.
Part 9: Where Sarpedon’s Body Lay - Published June 12th, 2008 - Still scrambling to figure out Epp’s fate, the testers on the mountaintops are forced to learn a lesson by Kyo. Meanwhile Gus, angry at having been pulled away from a push without getting a chance to complete things, heads back down below to take care of unfinished business starting a snowball of events that begins to rope in both sides.
Part 10: One Final Push - Published June 26th, 2008 - Bartleby tries to get in touch with the Epp he remembers while things around Gus’s push come to a head.
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