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BOOKS INCLUDED
SWERVING SIZES by Michael Cocchiarale
Swerving Sizes is a collection of microfictions that are all exactly 100, 200, or 300 words long. The book is divided into two sections. “Regular,” the first section, features work in a realistic vein. “Extra,” the second section, features work that is surreal, absurd, and/or structurally innovative.
DOLLARTORIUM by Ron Pullins
Ralph makes world-class corndogs in a small Kansas shop. It’s humble work, but honest. The problem? The bills pile up faster than the money rolls in, and Ralph can’t help but notice the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. As he puts it:
“As far as I can tell, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting… what? Screwed? If I think about it too much—my situation, the way the money runs out before the month does—I start wondering if anyone’s even paying attention. And if they are, I’m pretty sure I’m at the bottom of the heap.”
Ralph’s wife has had enough. She’s determined to get rich, one way or another. So when an infomercial for the “Dollartorium” promises untold wealth through a few simple business courses, Ralph reluctantly agrees to give it a shot.
Soon he’s learning how to hire, fire, market, and hustle his way to success. And for a while, it works—until the entire Dollartorium empire collapses under the weight of its own greed.
In the end, it’s Ralph’s daughter, Stella, who saves him. With her help, he finds his way back to what really matters: honest work, family, and the best damn corndogs in Kansas.
CLOISTERED by Liz Kellebrew
Award-winning author Liz Kellebrew debuts a short story collection of Mobius strip plots and shapeshifting points of view, where isolation amplifies connection and Ouroboros rules a reality stranger than dreams. With crackling, sensual, cinematic prose, Cloistered is a surreal journey through self-destruction and into self-transcendence. Kellebrew’s stories are a series of gentle detonations that will break open your expectations, dissolve the limits of your perception, and leave you deliciously perturbed.
