By W. A. Smith Foster is drawing a picture of a very tall lavender man in a cowboy hat. Deeper lavender trees grow near the man, barely reach his waist. Foster chooses an equally deep green for the giant’s hands, and without raising his eyes from his creation he...
by W.A. Smith “What bothers the hell out of me, like nothing else, is when I start singing a song’in the shower or something, or while I’m getting dressed’and you start singing it too.” The man paused and shifted the gun to his left hand...
2004 SFWP Literary Awards Program Prizewinner by Whitney Purvis An Excerpt Los Bluejeans Pr’digos Vuelven [The Prodigal Jeans Return] 1. Jun’pero Afortunado Among Jun’pero Afortunado’s most prized possessions in his hatchback that day were a...
2004 SFWP Literary Awards Program Prizewinner by J. M. Schuster From the Prologue After six years in the minor leagues, Edward Everett Yates gets called up to the St. Louis Cardinals; in his first appearance, the team inserts him as a pinch hitter for injured Lou...
2004 SFWP Literary Awards Program Prizewinner by Bethany Harvey Darcy’s been alone long enough to get good at it. She’s the only woman in her family to have passed twenty-five without being married at least once. Men leave her alone. She figures this has...
At home, Darcy takes off her shoes and socks and empties her pockets of keys and knife and guitar pick and driver’s license in a pile on the floor. The smells of stale smoke and alcohol cling to her clothes and hair. She opens the window, letting in a cold,...
