September Stories, or Happy New Year!
Today, driving down St. Charles, our oldest grandson said, “That sign says ‘Happy New Year.'” A conversation ensued about whether the sign was still up or already up. I thought, September has always been the New Year to me. When I see the calendar in my brain, it’s shaped like an Allen wrench. It goes straight across the top of the page then, at September, turns south. The last four months of the year run downward to December…then leap back up to January.
I did not tell my grandsons all this. Time and place.
So what is this New Year bringing?
Stories Make the New Year Happier
Here’s a new story published the first of this month: “The Very Hand of God.” You’re not going to believe this, but I wrote this story when my niece and I did a writing retreat at our river house. I don’t know how old she was, but we both read the same book as part of the retreat, that book starring Princess Pea. She’s now married and living in Rhode Island. To return to the story. We each brought a favorite object and swapped, then wrote a story about the other person’s favorite object. Her object was a tiny jar of pink glass. I picked up the story I wrote about the pink glass (what? twenty years later?) and thought, with a little tweaking, I could make that work. Then I picked it up mid-summer and thought, you did make that work. I’m so glad Luna Station Quarterly agreed. You can read it to discover (maybe) the answer to the pink glass mysteriously falling from the sky.
Shorter But Still New Year Happy
Because I’ve been remiss about writing to y’all, I didn’t tell you about this story on Unleash Lit. Mom-key is from a new collection I’m (supposedly) working on that all involved the aftermath of storms. The collection is (imaginatively) entitled Aftermath. Just the working title. I like this story about a woman having to make decisions when the situation absolutely is not conducive to doing so. And her son’s life depends on it. Mom-key.
I hope you enjoy the stories. Let’s call them September Stories. Happy New Year!
Free Online stories, free stories, Lunar Station Quarterly, September Stories, short stories online, Unleash Lit
emma
Amazing story about that pink glass!! And you could not have written those characters unless you experienced them. Bringing along all those strange and wonderful Memphis inner-city problems and people into this piece. Urban blight. A kid’s anger. Litter. Neighborhood revitalization. Curious residents. Wishes for a better life for those on the margins. It’s all in there. Kudos to you!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it was inspired by Sam Cooper Blvd and how it bisected the community. Thank you so much for reading. Much appreciate it. <3
Joanne Corey
I need more brainpower than I have right now to read your stories. Hoping to get to them later this week. Meanwhile, when I read the opening of this post, my first thought was Rosh Hashanah, which will be celebrated in a few days.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Ha! I didn’t think of that. Thank you!
Joanne Corey
After getting some sleep, I was able to read your stories this morning. Congratulations! I love the stories – and the stories behind the stories.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you for reading, Joanne. I’m glad you enjoyed them. I liked how The Very Hand of God turned out. Particularly after soooooooo many years.