"The Piano Lesson," by Andrew Wallace Chamings

In the voice of a child, some breathtaking short stories have been written. One collection that comes to mind is Steven Millhauser’s In the Penny Arcade. Chamings, in this story, captivates the reader with an intriguing first paragraph that begins: “It was the start of the year and the end of the day.” The story sweeps through past time and near past never leaving the deepening moment of the piano lesson as Dale, the imaginative boy, ploughs through “Moonlight Sonata” under his teacher’s guidance. The story offers many moments of concrete detail such as biting into holly berries that result in “A dry and cold bitter juice soaked into the back of my tongue.” The effect is a story implanted in the reader’s mind. For a magical read, try it here at Prick of the Spindle.

"Between the Words," by Robert Earle

With digital processing technologies at my fingertips, I admit I have become hooked on new versions and updates. In spite of this enthusiasm, I catch myself denigrating my hand-held gadgets to the role of mere memory aids, like hearing aids or glasses. Then a fleeting thought will brush my mind with a teasing question, are the digital versions of my observations and thoughts extensions of my memory and imagination, or will my digital version of self give rise to a digitized me? Earle’s story characters are engaging with their shared history and their meeting in the ubiquitous world of Starbucks and Ipads. For a surprising convergence, read the story here at Prick of the Spindle.

"Saint Vera," by Barry Jay Kaplan

An unusual use of language and omniscient viewpoint taps into the reader’s familiarity with stories of those who survived the horrors of World War II. Beauty and death, the power of story and how it is passed on to others, are all at the center. And then the drama of the story shifts to the first person narrator’s impressions of an older woman, once beautiful as evidenced by photographs of her. Appreciating her art in pictures and her life story, the narrator is deeply touched by her present circumstances and physical appearance. The end of the story leaves us with this narrator in shock and speaks to the mystery and power of art. Read it here in Prick of the Spindle.