Category: Story Reviews

Pauline Shen reviews short fiction from contemporary writers.

Story Reviews

Sinning Under Pressure. A Commentary on Leigh Rastivo’s “One Time in Hell”

Pauline Shen

Those who were raised Catholic and endured catechism as a child may recognize the setting. A series of primary graders are waiting, “in a long line of wee sinners—the queue looped twice round the nave and aisles of our church.” However, readers who do not have similar memories to draw upon can still empathize with the inter- and intra-personal struggles presented here vis-à-vis our protagonist, eight year old Mary Faith Dennison. In this fictional tale, Leigh Rastivo writes the story through Mary’s eyes, giving the audience the full run-down of her thoughts, worries, and obsessions. What she reveals is the breakdown of communication between adults and children—especially in areas that matter most. Sound familiar? Disconnect between fellow humans is indeed a universal theme. And a poignant one at that.

Continue reading “Sinning Under Pressure. A Commentary on Leigh Rastivo’s “One Time in Hell”” →
Story Reviews

Would it Smell as Sweet? A Commentary on Ace Baker’s “Not Julie… Yet”

Pauline Shen

Meet Julianna, a highly self-conscious and more-than-slightly-awkward high school student looking for love. It’s a story that may at first seem cliché, particularly as the narrative scaffolds on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet while also containing Palahniuk-style rules that serve as calls to action and reflections of lessons learned. However, writer Ace Baker has succeeded in crafting a tale that brings the reader inside Julianna’s world, capturing the reader’s attention and heart in a way that is fresh and exciting.

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Story Reviews

Poverty or Clarity? A Tax Return that Delivers. Commentary on Cadence Mandybura’s “Regarding Line 25600 of Your Income Tax Return”

Pauline Shen

It’s Sunday morning and there’s a knock at the door. Who else would it be but two representatives of the Canada Revenue Agency. Yesterday, you see, was the tax filing deadline. This morning, however, is no routine follow-up. In “Regarding Line 25600 of Your Income Tax Return,” Cadence Mandybura pulls the reader into a scene reminiscent of the liver donor segment from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. It’s wacky. It’s zany. But it’s also poignant in presenting a man’s deep struggle with a different sort of tax—that on the heart.  

Continue reading “Poverty or Clarity? A Tax Return that Delivers. Commentary on Cadence Mandybura’s “Regarding Line 25600 of Your Income Tax Return”” →
Story Reviews

Eyes Half Closed or Half Open? A Commentary on Cecilia Januszewski’s “The Salmon Family Baptism”

Pauline Shen

Meet Bernadette and Moore Salmon, new parents who consider themselves first and foremost puppy parents to their dog, Thomas, rather than growing into their responsibility as human parents to the infant in this scene. In fact, Bernadette spends so much energy detaching herself from motherhood that she appears as a modern-day version of Bernice Pritchard from Steinbeck’s The Wayward Bus. Januszewski’s account of Bernadette’s visualization techniques to the point of obsession with none other than how the pet dog’s bandana looks are spot-on. Never for a moment does the reader lose interest in the story.

Continue reading “Eyes Half Closed or Half Open? A Commentary on Cecilia Januszewski’s “The Salmon Family Baptism”” →