Tag: life

All Stories, Editor Picks, General Fiction, Latest News, Short Fiction

Week 528: What’s in a Title; The Votes Are In and Genre Overkill

ireneallison12

Naming Stuff

I like interesting titles. Now, these are not items to be confused with lying “clickbait” nonsense, but titles of books, movies and songs that stray from the norm. Often, as is the case of the cheap 60’s Spaghetti Western God Forgives, I Don’t, the item fails to live up to the title (but, to be fair, it is an interesting little film regardless). And sometimes certain interesting titles almost guarantee a good picture. The two Sergio Leone “Once Upon a Time…” films are classics, as is Quinton Tarantino’s exceptional Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. There is also one called Once Upon a Time in Mexico that I’ve heard good things about (starring Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz, both excellent performers), yet I’ve somehow yet to see it (I hope to fix that someday soon).

Continue reading “Week 528: What’s in a Title; The Votes Are In and Genre Overkill” →
All Stories, General Fiction

The Stork Delivers Such Joy by Simon Steven

literallystories2014

Only a month ago I was told how much I glowed. Glowed? Is the baby a thermonuclear device? Will my midwife melt from the radioactivity when the little angel is born and detonates? People say such silly things.

Continue reading “The Stork Delivers Such Joy by Simon Steven” →
All Stories, Editor Picks, General Fiction, Short Fiction

520: Don’t Touch that Dial, More Words From the TV Generation

ireneallison12

In Stephen King’s On Writing he mentions that he is among the last generation of writers who learned to read and write before television became a staple of American life (as I’m sure was the same in other developed nations as well).

Continue reading “520: Don’t Touch that Dial, More Words From the TV Generation” →
All Stories, General Fiction, Short Fiction

Mannish by Leila Allison

ireneallison12

-1-

I never learned how to ride a bicycle. My little sister did; during her Jesus phase Tess earned a rusty third-hander from the Presbyterians because she’d memorized fifty Bible verses. It was the sort of bike you could leave out and not care if it got stolen. Forever on foot, I excelled at heartstopping bolts across busy streets, hopping fences and creating shortcuts; I also developed a mailman’s awareness of Dogs.

Continue reading “Mannish by Leila Allison” →
All Stories, Editor Picks, General Fiction, Latest News, Short Fiction

Week 514: Happy New Year; Honesty; Six Honest Writers and Confessions

ireneallison12

Welcome to 2025

In the technical sense, last week, at the conclusion of the Hellworld Hellweek run (by our six lovely writers),  was Week 513. So, as we open this brave year of 2025, we will keep pace with ever fleet time the best we can. Thus, here we are at the end of week 514. A Happy New Year to All–and now on with the usual show.

Continue reading “Week 514: Happy New Year; Honesty; Six Honest Writers and Confessions” →
All Stories, General Fiction, Short Fiction

Nora in Five Acts by Leila Allison

ireneallison12

Act One

Nora Lynn Manning was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 6 December 1941. Her parents, Arlene and Jay, were high school sweethearts who realized too late that they did not like each other all that much. Still, they chose to marry before Arlene began to show. Like so many hideously bad ideas, it was considered the “right thing” to do.

Continue reading “Nora in Five Acts by Leila Allison” →
All Stories, Editor Picks, General Fiction, Short Fiction

Week 508:Inspiring Words From the Past; New Inspiring Words and Remembering a Friend

ireneallison12

Inside Information Inspiration

At the start of his career Hunter S. Thompson typed copies of famous novels in effort to gain a “muscle memory” of greatness–Gatsby for instance; the whole thing, seeking the inspiration; how it felt to write the powerful words. I have never gone that far, but I do surround myself with what I think are great words and images. These are pasted to my walls along with what I consider fine art. Visually, I have (among many others) Van Gough, Picasso, Dali and Giger prints as well as a large Shakespeare poster (whose accusatory eyes tend to follow me for some reason) on my walls. But it is not all highbrow, because I also have stuff like Elliott the Pigeon (of this wrap’s header), “Dogs Playing Poker” and a poster for Ed Wood’s Bride of the Monster on the same walls

Continue reading “Week 508:Inspiring Words From the Past; New Inspiring Words and Remembering a Friend” →
All Stories, Editor Picks, General Fiction, Latest News, Short Fiction

Week 503: Further Adventures in Wildlife; Six Pack of Encouraging Words; and “Like, Boo, Dude”–PDQ Peety’s List of 80’s Halloween Horror Films

ireneallison12

Wildlife

I have either finished turning invisible or the local wildlife considers me as threatening as Jane Jetson. The wild things are taking advantage of our slipping sense of surrounding and are slowly, yet steadily organizing. I present three instances for your examination. (And although some of you will not detect acts of duplicity in these seemingly random events, I say that is what they want us to believe.)

Continue reading “Week 503: Further Adventures in Wildlife; Six Pack of Encouraging Words; and “Like, Boo, Dude”–PDQ Peety’s List of 80’s Halloween Horror Films” →
All Stories, Editor Picks, General Fiction, Short Fiction

Week 498: Not So Instant Karma; Two Special Announcements and the Week That Is

ireneallison12

The Wheel Grinds Patiently

In 1968, at the age of nine, I allowed a classmate we will call “Louise Haas” (not her real name, but close) to get a lecture for something I did. The offense was cussing. It was recess and I had told someone to “eat shit” or something of that third-gradely nature, unaware that the playground monitor was in earshot.

Continue reading “Week 498: Not So Instant Karma; Two Special Announcements and the Week That Is” →