Episode #43 - Maureen Aitken: "Tainted," "Bigfoot" and "Roby Burns"

The stories of New York author Carrie Esposito can be searing in their attention to the frailties found in family relationships - whether they're families of origin or families of choice. She understands the ways in which the roles we're given in life - wife, mother, son, father - can push us to our limits as we strive to learn who we really are. We read the story "Man of the House," which was published in Ruminate.   https://www.carrieesposito.com/Support the show

In her story collection Sidle Creek, Pennsylvania native Jolene McIlwain writes about the rural America she grew up in with compassion and tenderness. That's not to say that every character is a charmer. She understands how hardship can harden folks, and writes with blinding clarity about the brutality that resides there as well. We read a story from the collection entitled "The Steep Side." https://www.jolenemcilwain.com/Support the show

To commemorate the 1 year anniversary of the podcast, we're honoring our very first guest author, John Henry Fleming, with a reading of his short story "Song for the Deaf," from his collection "Songs for the Deaf." (Burrow Press)Support the show

Indian author Mandira Pattnaik's writing career began with a surprising discovery: under the mantle of science fiction, she could express her outrage at the harm done to society by the introduction of the cellphone. She has gone on from there to address, in her stories, societal and environmental concerns such as global warming and the overdevelopment of her beloved country. We read her story "Whether an Apocryphal Story?" https://mandirapattnaik.com/Support the show

Missouri author L Mari Harris's flash fiction is not for the faint of heart. It is her aim to push readers into uncomfortable places. Nothing is off limits: taboos, family secrets - in her stories, they're all fair game. We read two of her flash stories: "They're So Beautiful When They're Sleeping" and "The Exterminator."Support the show

When a briefcase containing his laptop and years of work was stolen, Texas author Andrew Porter nearly lost all hope. Luckily for us, a visiting writer gig at U of Maryland, Baltimore turned his life around. And the rest is history.  We read his story "Two Men," which was published in The Missouri Review.   https://www.andrewporterwriter.com/Support the show

Canadian author Kirsti MacKenzie is blazing a trail as a writer of fiction with her unmistakable, inimitable voice. Like a modern-day Dorothy Parker, she is creating her own personal brand of razor-sharp and quick-witted fiction.  We read two of her flash stories: "The Incumbent" and "You Crown Paul Shaffer's Head With Mustard."Support the show

Growing up in rural midwest America gave author Madeline Anthes a way of seeing the world that would reverberate throughout her writing. As a mother of two young sons, she reveals how motherhood has "pushed [her] boundaries of emotional capacity," and brought a new level of depth and complexity to her work. We read four of her flash fiction pieces: "Staying Afloat," "Love Scream," "The Way Our Voices Carry" and "The Last One." https://madelineanthes.com/Support the show

We begin our new Culture In Fiction series with an episode featuring five accomplished Jewish writers who discuss how their faith and cultural heritage inform their work. Mara Beneway, Temim Fruchter, Mordecai Martin, Kate Schmier and Bonnie Weinstein Crowe engage in a lively conversation covering topics like Jewish humor, the Yiddishe Mama in popular culture, and the great tradition of storytelling handed down through the generations. To hear Bonnie's Hannukah story "Festival," use this link to the podcast's 2022 holiday episode:  https://shortstorytoday.com/episodes/episode-33-first-annual-holiday-episode-811Support the show

Author Danny DeRock was born and raised in the U.S. Midwest, and now lives in the Netherlands. He has a PhD in political science from the University of Amsterdam, and does research on the global political economy of climate change. At the age of 34, through his own research, he determined he was autistic, a diagnosis that was medically confirmed.  He speaks candidly about how his ADHD and autism have affected his life and his creativity. We read "Artifacts," a speculative fiction story that first appeared in Reservoir Road Literary Review.Support the show