TABLE TALES

Prose is the Sibling of Poetry

TABLE TALES

This is not a table of poetry, but a table of prose, short stories, four of them. This table is included in the mix for the PICNIC ON POETRY project, based on the premise that prose is the sibling of poetry. In bookstores and libraries prose dominates, but not in Our Poemtown parks. POETCHRY will dedicate one table annually to prose.

TABLE TALES was curated by Shane Joseph, editor and publisher of Blue Denim Press, Cobourg’s only independent book publisher. They are “a trade publisher committed to publishing quality literary prose. We focus on novels, short stories and selective non-fiction.”

Shane made the call to his textpansive network of authors, and POETCHRY received four short stories composed by four accomplished authors:

PAM ROYL, wrote God Sky, the story of a mother stricken with cancer, of a mother of an autistic child. The mother is tormented with real life decisions, but a God Sky opens, and the answer appears on a bench by the Yacht Club.

SUSAN STATHAM, wrote House Proud, with a blockbuster beginning, “Hetty would have a full house today. She looked so happy. Did it matter that she was dead?” This is a well spun yarn about a ghost in the historic Barnum House Museum. It has many ghost visitors.

LIZ TORLEE, wrote Orion Winked; the opening line: “I heard from Danny tonight, one year after he died.” Another ghost story? Nope. A love lament for Danny, a disarmingly authentic short story about how a passed loved one reaches out to the loving living. Tenderness.

JANET TRULL Wind Chimes doesn’t start off with a death sentence, but a living sentence, however the story revolves around a dead father, and the ‘daddy issues’ that ensued. This a heartfelt story of familial love and personal relationships. The word ‘death’ does show up in the last line of the story.

TABLE TALES is the world’s first picnic table of published short stories. Skinny narratives, long tall tales 4.75 inches wide and 45 inches long. It’s difficult to spin a yarn in that space, but it has been done and will be done again, more efficiently, and definitely with longevity in mind.

Shane Joseph is no stranger to world firsts. This year he held the world’s first prose contest to be judged by artificial intelligence. Criteria were established, the prose poured in, and viola, we have a winner. Creativity prevails. Shane’s most recent novel is in keeping with his textceedingly alert mind, Victoria Unveiled. It’s quite the cyber romp presenting the dilemma of confronting our creations and coming out human.