On "Bent and Blue" by C. J. Spataro (5798 words) ****

Here's a sad one for you, a sad love story, a sad story about growing up and about potential being squandered, about lost dreams, and then lost everything. This isn't a story told, for the most part, within the confines of what have become fiction techniques, and that is part of this story's power. There are only snatches of dialogue, only snatches of scenes. Most of it sounds like a long tale told--told, that is, by a young woman sitting right beside you. Here's my life and the life of my friend and a tale about our town that you'll find intriguing. You can't listen to her speak, since this is text, but you can read what she has to say--here, at CrossConnect.