The Boat

Water, water, everywhere, but not inside me; my organs, these vitals, they rattle like dusty pebbles. I understand those tubercular poets of the 19th century. In a slow decline, you reach for the pen...

'The Boat' by Hugh Fulham-McQuillan is a humorous story set against the backdrop of the post-Celtic Tiger recession, with its hero and his companions attempting to take a relaxing sun holiday at a seaside resort of repossessed properties and abandoned boats. With a single copy of Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim to entertain them, the companions strike out on a seafaring excursion that will test their survival skills and their friendships. CLICK HERE TO READ 'THE BOAT'.

Drayman

Not until he was past the Deluxe did Teo notice the absolute quiet of the garden... Stepping along the perimeter he followed low, unintelligible wisps of voices in the air to the edge of the hill. Their backs to him in a closed phalanx, the patrons stood pointing towards the low horizon. Following the imperative of their fingertips, Teo turned to see in the distance tall, gossamer spirals of smoke rising like dried weed stalks here and there in the town.

October 2013's issue is a harrowing tale of an 'everyman' living in the Philippines in the 1940s, caught in an invasion by Japanese soldiers. The struggle for survival, the pain of witness and the question 'Am I my brother's keeper?' are themes deeply explored in Karl Shaddox's tale. The plight of Teo, a contemporary Sisyphus, will not be easily forgotten by readers of 'Drayman'.  CLICK HERE TO READ 'DRAYMAN'. 

Sundown

View fullsize

Photo © Ola Zackrisson

Angela wondered how far from home Pearl actually was, and what kind of trouble she’d found. Accustomed to shielding her mother from Pearl’s problems, Angela shoved this fear to the back of her mind and steeled herself for this encounter, not sure what she’d find: a self-pitying decline or a ramped-up snit.

 'Sundown' is the story of a woman struggling to keep contacts with both her estranged daughter, and her mother who is unhappy with life in a nursing home. It is an exploration of grief, punctuated by moments of transcendent beauty, encouraging the reader to find solace in patience and hope. Writer Jan English Leary's short-story collection manuscript, Frequent Losers, was named a finalist in the Flannery O’Connor Award. CLICK HERE TO READ 'SUNDOWN'.   

Ezekiel Rising

When Jessie and Little Owen Stucker passed him by Orville Qualls was out in the yard playing in the snow like a kid. Little Owen reminded himself to call Bobby Willis as soon as he got home, but otherwise they thought nothing of it. It was Orville's way. A little touched they said but forgivable as he was old and had never been known to harm a soul and half the population of West Sisters, Indiana had work by his hand on their walls or if they felt themselves of a more sophisticated nature, packed away in a basement, garage or attic—or maybe offered up as gift to one of the local collectors of Orville Qualls of which there were more than you might imagine, especially since that article in the Indianapolis Star calling him a genuine folk artist and a primitive genius on the order of Grandma Moses and Elias Hicks.

'Ezekiel Rising' is the portrait of an artist whose spiritual practice is not only his creativity, but also the sacrifice of giving his work away. This tale uniquely pairs a requiem for a beloved animal and a sharp satire of the art world. As the character Orville Qualls weathers winter, loss, and lazy consumption by arts audiences, the reader warms to him and the astonishing beauty he creates from pain. Author Jacob Russell is not only a writer, but an artist as well.  CLICK HERE TO READ 'EZEKIEL RISING'.

A Good Funeral

Luke’s father lies in a hospital bed in a private room. Luke stands at the foot of the bed, holding a bunch of oriental lilies he bought at Cork airport. Their scent is muted in the antiseptic hospital air. His brother Terence and Terence’s wife Una sit at the old man’s bedside in a silence broken by the click of the morphine pump, then a clatter of crockery and muffled voices from the corridor outside. The old man seems dead already, until suddenly his blue eyes flicker open. ‘If you’ve come to get something out of me, forget it,’ he manages to say.

'A Good Funeral' tells the story of a bittersweet homecoming for Luke, an Irishman who left his small town at a young age to live in London. When he returns, he takes stock of how much, and how little, has changed--and learns the unknown influence he had on another young man who lived in the same town. A new offering from Hennessy Award winner Madeleine D'Arcy, with all of her characteristic humour, warmth and emotional wisdom. CLICK HERE TO READ 'A GOOD FUNERAL'.    

Axman

Photo © Mitch Weiss

“It was the guitar that made us stop for him, that and the unmistakable silhouette, in black, of Castle Bran painted on the white guitar case. The black suit and black and white striped shirt also helped. His hair was long and grey – once black? – and he was as tall and skinny as a lamppost. The only incongruous thing about him was the pair of tiny John Lennon glasses perched on his somewhat long nose.”

'Axman'​ is a wonderfully weird offering from renowned poet and writer Matthew Sweeney, co-author with John Hartley Williams of the novel 'Death Comes for the Poets'. In 'Axman', Sweeney draws on his years in both Germany and Romania to create a unique tale of a guitar-wielding hitchhiker one couple will forever regret picking up, but will also never forget. Sean O'Brien describes Sweeney's approach at the British Literature Council website: "Disliking the term 'Magic Realism', he [Sweeney] has proposed the name 'Alternative Realism'. In this realm, the mundane world lies open to the proverbial, to the peremptory logic of folktale and to the possibility of nightmare derived from what Sweeney calls 'European darkness'." The darkness, humour and lingering mystery in 'Axman' make it a story well worth reading. CLICK HERE TO READ 'AXMAN'.

The Governor's Gin

Photo ​© Daniel Eyre

"It had not rained in several weeks and as Namish dismounted from his bicycle, the dirt track sent up a cloud of scorched dust. ‘Quick,’ Sameer said, getting to his feet, ‘come with me. We have a problem.’"​

'The Governor's Gin' ​transports the reader to colonial Ceylon in all its dark extravagance. Menace sets in as the governor's guests and their increasing demands continue to weigh on his Sri Lankan staff. There is a looming question for young Namish, which becomes clearer and clearer as the day progresses. This month's story is by Danielle McLaughlin, winner of the 2012 Trevor-Bowen Prize and the Merriman Competition in memory of Maeve Binchy.

Balan

View fullsize

© Patrick Warner

"Gerry gripped a bath towel around his waist. The autumn chill spread goose-pimples across his naked torso. His mother pressed in behind him and when he straightened they almost knocked heads. He palmed the air with his free hand. ‘What do you expect me to see?’"​

'Balan' brings us into the mind of a young man whose confidence outweighs his skills of perception, whose understanding of his family and his place in the world is about to change drastically. This tale is in turns funny, heart-wrenching and startling: an honest examination of the first days of the recession from Hennessy Award-winning writer Valerie Sirr. CLICK HERE TO READ 'BALAN'.

The Shawl

View fullsize

© Jenna Weaver

"They found the shawl on the back of a chair in a bar, forgotten or discarded by its owner. It was beautiful, golden, with many coloured threads woven into it. Robert saw it first, and showed it to Helen .... Robert watched as Helen simply folded it neatly and placed it in her bag."

​'The Shawl' is a dirge of the ties that bind our relationships; the clutch and release in the power struggle to keep hold of the ones we love. This new work is by Brian Kirk, a writer who is as accomplished in poetry as he is in the short story. His image of 'the shawl' will stay with readers, long after they've finished reading. CLICK HERE TO READ 'THE SHAWL'.

Today

Photo © David Griffin

"Today starts off like this. A man walks into the coffee shop, well-dressed, bearded, bespectacled, newspaper under his arm, and he appears normal, even gregarious: Geez it’s warm in here, is what he says ....  Dara gives a nervous laugh and says, ‘Oh yeah man, I suppose it’s fairly cosy alright.’ And he, the bearded man, says, ‘Do you have the heat going? Full blast?’ Now this is a warning sign, if anyone’s counting – but today, more than other days, is about picking battles."

'Today' --a new story by emerging writer Aileen Armstrong takes place in the warmest coffee shop in a wintry city, a crossroads for people whose lives are in limbo. This is a humorous piece, familiar to anyone who has experienced that 'waiting for my life to start' feeling. Armstrong's début collection is forthcoming from Doire Press. CLICK HERE TO READ 'TODAY'. 

Resurrection

Photo © Peter Neske

"It was the morning of the last day of February when the man at the other end of the phone told Miriam her husband was dead. 'There’s no comfortable way for me to put this or for you to hear it,' he said. 'Your husband’s body was found yesterday afternoon. No matter how I say it, it doesn’t make it any easier for you. I’m sorry to be the one.'"

'Resurrection' is a story by John MacKenna, who the Guardian has declared "a consummately skilled author". This is a wintry story examining the roles of innocence and experience when questions of faith test a family who has suddenly been subjected to a deep loss. CLICK HERE TO READ 'RESURRECTION'.

The Starter

Photo © Chris Weeks

' ... my Dad would say Detroit was no place for a guy starting out. Even if he didn’t know the first thing about it, he would say things like that. And it was alright, far as places go; made me think about how the apocalypse might leave things, with maybe a few more automobiles lying around.'

December's story is by emerging writer and Trinity College Dublin graduate Naoimh O'Connor. Taking place along the docks of Detroit, The Starter is a tale of transition, loss, growth and the art of baking sourdough bread.