On "Killing Fish" by Jackie Ernst (4680 words) ****

Here's a story about an adult trying to accomplish something and about kids who see the whole trip as simply an adventure. The story does a great job of with point of view, providing what sounds like an authentic narrative voice. I feel like I was this kid, this goof, who annoyed my father. And although I haven't been a dad, I've been the guy dealing with the little kids my mother babysat, so I can identify there as well. What I can't identify with but what this author does so well is being the child of a divorced parent. Here, all that annoyance isn't just about being a kid--it's about something deeper than that. It's about trying to get your dad's attention, to make him love you, any way that you can, whether that be trying to act like a grownup or spearing fish for a contest. Read the story here at the Hamilton Stone Review.