Tag: online short stories

Story Reviews

The Scar Behind the Story. Commentary on Brecht De Poortere’s “Mango Fly”

Pauline Shen

Brecht De Poortere’s “Mango Fly” is a quick and masterful telling of losing one’s innocence. Besides the troubling realism contained in the opening line itself, you know the plot spells trouble when our young protagonist-narrator sums-up the family’s relationship with character Nepo by saying, “[w]e trusted him because he was handsome and strong as a gun.” If the narrative were a roller-coaster, this is the point at the highest part of the track just before you begin to feel the car tip over the edge. It’s a wild ride, but keep your eyes open.

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Story Reviews

Home is a Lifetime Away. Commentary on Taylor Thornburg’s “Come On, Come On, Come On”

Pauline Shen

Meet Jonah, an elderly man who decides to take a stroll, sit on a park bench, and then make his way home. But what is home, anyways? Is it something clearly defined? How do you know when you’ve recognized it? In Taylor Thornburg’s “Come On, Come On, Come On,” when is the key word indeed. Jonah searches, “…in the windows. They reflected an unfamiliar figure. Jonah had white hair and a crooked posture. His reflection had thick brown hair and stood upright. Bewildered, Jonah did not notice his reflection.” Juxtaposition signals a tangle of memories that flood Jonah’s mind and pull the reader’s attention in multiple directions.

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