On "To Pieces and to Death" by Amanda Rea (4005 words) ****

Here a fish takes on the obvious metaphor for a man, and a dead fish, we might say, is a dead man--or a divorced one. But the story isn't about the man but about the woman, the one who left him and now has second thoughts. He's a sweet guy but not one she wants to be with anymore. Meanwhile, her neighbors have fights, the woman is abused. This man will keep his lady, perhaps too long. I'm reminded of various relationships I've known of, those where people hung on far beyond the relationship's potential because they hated to face a future alone, and others where a person has the guts to end said relationship but then feels all the same despair as the one who is broken up with. The end of things is rarely easy. Read the story here at Wazee Journal.

On "Mourner's Passage" by Matt Zepelin (5349 words) ***

T. C. Boyle has a story about a Russian bride who comes to live with a man. It's one of his best (I believe it's his story "Without a Hero"). Other than that, I've not read too many stories about mail-order brides, and I don't remember any from the point of view of the bride. (I say remember, and think that it's likely that a mail-order bride or two is part of Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club, but I remember very little of that book unfortunately.) Zepelin tells the story from both points of view, providing us with an understanding as to why either person would choose this kind of relationship and how deep bonds can be built. Told backwards, the piece starts with the bond and lets you watch, in a sense, as that bond is forged. Read the story here at Wazee Journal.

On "Flex" by Maria O'Connell (5804 words) ***

Four ex-roommates from college decide to spend a weekend together in their old house. This seems like it might be the plot of Saint Elmo's Fire or some film like it--I don't remember. Nevertheless, I'm a sucker for the story. Maybe it's that O'Connell, while presenting a story that seems like something out of Hollywood, does such a good job with the dialogue and the characters. These are people we know. These are conversations we listen to. This is a story we remember. Read it here at Wazee Journal.

On "Orphans of God" by Morgan Smith (6148 words) ***

Morgan's Smith's story isn't the deserted orphan of a writer who's given up. This story is a great example of a piece of good, slick fiction--a plot that grinds its way from start to end, picking up pace as you drive toward the end the way a glacier picks up all the stones in its wake. It's the story of a public defender who wants to win at any cost. It's the story of a man who works the rodeo. The piece rocks between these two plots, reminding us that law isn't too much like riding a bull, and that sometimes you can get the girl but only for the weekend. Read there story here at Wazee Journal.