“Story is a yearning meeting an obstacle.” Robert Olen Butler THE SOOTHING MONOTONY OF THE KNOWN The lid is off, a funny river springs from nowhere and floods a bowl filled with pre-formatted ideas. Soaked in something unexpected, images, words, formulas, emojis, signs and grammatical symbols, contort and shake in utter rage. “Put it back,”…
“Story is a yearning meeting an obstacle.” Robert Olen Butler PRIMORDIAL IMAGE The carousel turns, its surroundings blurring into a wash of undefined contours. Inside, a Shadow rides a Kraken up and down, its tentacles caressing a storm of suppressed thoughts. “How do I change poles?” asks a Mask, intruding from a wooden ark. Hollow…
“Story is a yearning meeting an obstacle.” Robert Olen Butler HORROR SLUMBER Incomprehensible images drifted through a heavy fog he couldn’t dispel. Remote voices echoed as his own loud breathing bounced off unseen walls. Lying flat, he couldn’t sense what held him—in fact, he couldn’t feel his body at all. Hypnagogia, he thought. Just sleep…
“Story is a yearning meeting an obstacle.” Robert Olen Butler H-HOUR Millions watched the launch of humanity’s greatest scientific achievement. Thousands stood behind colored ribbons as scientists prepared the rocket designed to control the planet’s atmosphere. Code streamed across screens. Launch. He stood frozen. Smoke rose from the wreckage. Something burned. Someone screamed. A body…
“Story is a yearning meeting an obstacle.” Robert Olen Butler ANOTHER DAY Constance dresses and walks into the kitchen. Her mother is affixed to the stove, silent and motionless. A lunch box rests on the table. At five, Constance returns. The door opens and a fresh breeze sneaks inside. Her mother turns around. Astonished, she…
“Story is a yearning meeting an obstacle.” Robert Olen Butler A DAY OF RECKONING Mary opened the front door slowly, her thumb hovering over 911. She watched aghast at the total chaos inside. Nothing stood in its place. Clothes, cookware, books, and papers piled across overturned tables and smashed chairs. Only a tornado could compete…