On "All the Way Rider" by Mattox Roesch (5168 words) ***

I'm a sucker for stories about my hometown, I guess, when they're well written. Only, this one isn't so much about my hometown as about leaving my hometown for another, elegantly drawn place that I can say with some certainty I would never want to live in. I've been to Alaska. It's beautiful in places, but it's also dreadfully stark in certain ways as well. If you like being around no one, it might be the place for you. To me, though, there's no joy in roads that go nowhere. That's perhaps my favorite detail in this story. It seems like a metaphor for so much of what else is happening to the characters in this piece. Call it stark? A bit depressing? You betcha. Read the story here at Narrative. (Login required, but it's free!).