David Given Schwarm

Man, I liked this one so much I typed it up! When he was a boy, someone’s great-grandfather told him this story about a traveler in thirteenth-century France.  The traveler met three men pushing wheelbarrows. He asked in what work they were engaged, and he received from them the following three answers.  The first said:…

A literary joke about the instructions for folding fabric. This is gold.

Alcoholic mother asking for drink on her death bed. Two daughters who do not know each other well. The cakes no matter where they lived. I like this one very much.

This is yet another dead child one. But in this case the dark, extreme, absurd ending and its connection to the title make it not so overwhelming depressing.I actually rather like this one.

Another dark Danish tale. Anderson at his worst–impacting a family in a dark prophetic way. I am not even really sure how to respond to this.

A simple note about a tragic news story from Africa. This is more reportage then writing. Than Writing. Not sure, but not that good–either….

This one is back on track for me–a macabre tale of AI, fake knees, and Floridian Suicides. “smiling in the way that she smiles” is total gold. Everyone has a mom who smiles like this…