You may remember when not too long ago I reviewed a book of short short stories published by Rose Metal Press. I discovered I loved the short short story form, and thankfully that book wasn’t the only of this sort Rose Metal chose to publish. Their latest, In the Land of the Free, written by Geoffrey Forsyth, is another fascinating example of why I feel short shorts should get more exposure. Forsyth’s stories, most lasting no more than three or four pages, are packed with raw human emotion. From humor to ache, love to death, these stories are concentrated forms of literature that bear reading over and over.
Forsyth’s stories are most original; I’m sure it’s a large part of the reason he won the Rose Metal Press Second Annual Short Short Chapbook Contest. His stories feature young people – a baby born in the kitchen, a man who in his youth purchases a wall out of his naivete, a young man who wakes to find his dead relatives in his living room. These addictive little bits will most certainly get you hooked on short shorts.
If you’ve not read a short short story before, I highly recommend you try it. We all need something artistic and deep in our lives, and let’s face it – most people skip it completely, never realizing it’s missing. But for us readerly types, it’s a necessity that we recognize. Think of short shorts as multivitamins for the brain and the soul. Or a pick-me-up more handy than a cup of coffee, healthier than a cigarette break. If you decide to start with In the Land of the Free, you’ll have yourself a most creatively published work as well. This chapbook has an old-style letterpress cover which was produced at the Museum of Printing in Andover, Massachusetts–the perfect format for In the Land of the Free. I ask you, when was the last time you heard of a mainstream press take such care with their book printing? Another reason to love the Indie presses.
Want to win your own copy of In the Land of the Free? Here’s your chance.
3 Ways to Win:
1.) Leave a comment telling me what interests you about reading short short stories. Have you read them before? Why would you like to try? Have fun with your comment! Winners are randomly chosen, but if the name drawn doesn’t respond, I choose the next winner by comment.
2.) Email subscribers are entered into this and all future giveaways, for as long as their subscription is active. Simply place your email address in the little white box at the top of my sidebar on the right. (Please make sure to verify your Feedburner subscription by responding to the email they send you. If you don’t receive it, check your junk mail. Only verified subscriptions are entered for all the giveaways.)
3.) Blog about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. Come back and leave me a Comment with a link to your blog post.
Do all three, and you’ve got three entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Thursday, September 18, 2008, to enter.
