Comments on: Why I Said No

By: Tania Casselle

Tania Casselle — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 01:35:34 +0000

Terrific piece! From the “shriveled and slippered” to the “shards of ice” to the “shoulder of stone”–it’s all very chilling. The cat graveyard was strong enough, then it goes further, as we’re “‘threaded around the gravestones.” I’ve read this through several times, and each reading feels harder, colder, darker, glossier–more questions provoked. Great stuff.

By: Terrie Leigh Relf

Terrie Leigh Relf — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:32:49 +0000

I love this piece for many reasons. . . . One, is the feeling I can’t shake that the narrator is not far from the grave. Another, is how skillfully this is wrought–even if my feeling is way off base. Death has an uncanny ability to teach us of life. How sweetly she takes “all this” in. . . .

By: Marie Shield

Marie Shield — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 16:29:03 +0000

The excerpt from this story is incredible writing. I’m not normally an envious person, but, oh my, I wish I’d written that. I opened the rest of the excerpt and what a delightful premise for a story…great title for it. I also normally don’t gush on like this.

By: Jefferson Navicky

Jefferson Navicky — Thu, 03 May 2007 08:27:16 +0000

The description ‘already shriveled and slippered’ is one of the more refreshingly flippant and poignant remarks I’ve read in the past few days. And “Here’s my old ferret” also has a certain bestiary appeal. The whole piece reminds me of a scene from John Irving’s “Prayer for Owen Meany” in which Owen offers to use his prodigious stone carving abilities to slice off Johnny’s finger so Johnny doesn’t get drafted. I’ve always wanted my own gravestone; I’d put a quote from Mei-Mei Bersenbrugge on it, fill in the death date, and if I lived beyond the date, I’d be on bonus time. I’d go live in Cuba and start a body shop.