Leila was seen on the battlements at midnight. We tried to tempt her down for food but no – Instead she handed over this piece by a quirky and interesting author who turns out fascinating little slice of life stories. This is what she said:
Hope and Doubt often share a cab. Although the previous sentence might make little sense to you, I believe that Melvin McGrewster, the protagonist in Adam Kuger’s wonderfully elusive What Would Breslin Have Thought, knows exactly what it means.
Now I am at one of those touchy sort of places which all writers arrive at once in a while. You see I could just blast on about Breslin as if everyone knows who he was, or I can do the equivalent of patting my stomach and head at the same time and attempt to get enough of legendary New York newsman Jimmy Breslin across to those ignorant of the man without insulting the experts. Or I could go about doing a little of both in a shady sort of way and move away from the subject as though it were ticking.
Regardless, this is a subtle and human piece. And I think that Breslin would have liked it just fine.
Q: Melvin’s hopeful uncertainty toward Suzanne is counterbalanced by his admiration for competent and self assured Breslin. Was that the desired effect? (Notice how I trimmed hesitant words like “seemed” and phrases like “I feel as though…” Just like Breslin. Now if I could do something like omitting “like.”)
Q: If the story went on another page or so, what do you think would happen?
Leila Allison
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literally stories 
Hi Leila,
It’s not like Adam not to answer, this one must have slipped through for whatever reason, so don’t be too hard on him!!
Another belting choice. I think your sentence about Adam’s work sums him up perfectly:
…a quirky and interesting author who turns out fascinating little slice of life stories.
Many of our submitters try this discipline and few do it well. Adam excels and makes it look so easy. He gets so much millage and character development out of very few words.
Hugh
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Adam did respond to the notification about this Rerun and was thrilled that his story had been chosen. He also told us that he intended to respond but I reckon life must have interfered.
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I’m certain that Adam will respond in his usual articulate and witty manner as soon as he makes bail. The hostile world political climate often relocates writers into the hoosegow. The smart ones, like Adam, make certain to get pinched on pizza day.
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