Literally Reruns: Looking At Women by Yash Seyedbagheri

The father in Yashar Seyedbagheri’s Looking For Women is an old fashioned “wolf.” Whether you call him a skirt chaser, a lech or a hit and run specialist, he loves women or at least loves to catch, use and then release women.

Now, most of us recognize this sort of person right off and act according to our worldviews. I make no moral judgment; although I’d let foaming Cujo in the house before I’d let this guy buy me a drink, I can see that a lot of his attitude was forged by the society in which he grew up (of course he was free to analyze the system). Also, since he does (or has) attracted women, willing participation keeps systems alive. It’s how the world works, and as long as give is give and take is take, it’s none of my business.

But the MC in the story is the wolf’s son. And the arrogance of the father doesn’t sit well with the son. In a perfect world, Dad would recognize his faults and repudiate his behavior. But as I’m certain all have noticed by now, the world is not perfect. And the people we are supposed to love most are quite often the people we would never seek out if given a choice.

Now, Yash published 41 stories with us in 2021. That’s a tall record. And I really cannot think of anything new to say to or ask him at the moment. But I would like him to let us know what he has been up to and what are his writing plans for the future.

Leila

Looking At Women

Yash’s response:

I’ve been working on a short-story collection called “Choose Your Own Nick,” featuring variations of my character Nick Botkin. In this literary universe, he exists in multiple what-if scenarios across time. The collection will explore the nexus of environment and character. Aside from that, I’m just writing away, both fiction and poetry.