This story was picked up by Failbetter in 2004; they’re apparently still around, though they’ve gone through some iterations. It was inspired by an article about people superimposing maps of Dublin over…
Author: Michael Hartford
Summer Reading
I’m an Americanist with an Irish soul — I swing between the Faulkner and Hemingway poles, though obviously I have a great affinity for Kerouac and the Beats (I did a big…
Self Defense
This was picked up by Pindeldyboz in 2005; their website still exists, but hasn’t been updated since 2010. Remember when there were whimsically-named webzines that published weird little stories? This was long-listed…
Practical Haunting Considerations
Man, this is a morose little sketch. But I kind of like it. This got picked up in “Duck and Herring,” an odd little print journal, in 2005. Now if you google…
Pieces
Pieces Published in Small Spiral Notebook in 2004, I think this is my favorite published story. But don’t let that sway your opinion. For the record, while I did once break my…
Mermaid
This little story was picked up by Rumble, a webzine, in 2005, not to be confused with Rumble, the video site where mouth-breathing alt-right troglodytes who have been kicked off YouTube (and…
Then Worms Shall Try: Seven Studies in the Efficacy of Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”
Another completely 100% true tale, more or less, maybe more less than more. To be honest, I never had much luck with Marvell, I think Lovelace works better if you have to…
Imprimatur
The first thing you need to know about this story is that it’s true, more or less. When I was an undergrad at a small Catholic liberal arts school in the Upper…
Ichthyology
This story was published by JMWW in 2005, though their archives only go back to 2009 so you’ll have to take my word for it. Somehow they’re still a going concern, so…
I might not miss you
This is a missed connections story, a what-could-have-been-but-could-never-be tale that is wistful and maybe a bit mawkish, but I like some of the turns of phrase so I stand by the effort….