Thursday, December 11, 2008

short stories rock

Do you ever think of the time, Olivia, when we were stuck in the stairwell? Of the way I dived through the fire-stop door and down the stairs and you followed me all tap-tap and clatter in those pointy boots of yours, and one floor down, my floor, the exit door was locked? I huffed a little, tried it twice, did a U-turn, led the way back up the stairs, back to the floor where the lecture was, but that door, the one we’d just come through, had locked behind us.

Okay this is very very cool. This is the beginning of my first ever published short story The Stairwell and the whole thing is published here on the new Turbine on-line journal (which is also very very cool and edited by the wonderful crew at the International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University.) You can see I am at a loss for words on this one. Do go and check out the whole of Turbine 2008 with its -okay - cool array of poets, fiction and memoir writers.

And another very cool thing and first for me is this blog award from a cat of impossible colour who is a bit of a rocker herself in blog terms (thanks Andrea). So it feels like an early Christmas for me. And a cool one at that. Might even need to get myself some snow boots.

5 comments:

Vanda Symon said...

Love The Stairwell, Mary, and congrats on having it published in Turbine.

and what perfect timing for the You Rock Award...

very cool.

Law and Order said...

I love your story, Mary. I wish I could write prose like that. And I like your award too.

Rachael King said...

Great story Mary. It's exciting when one pops out in amongst all the novel scribbling, isn't it? I have one that I'm just wondering what to do with.

I hope Issy is feeling better too.

Stephen Stratford said...

Great story, unsurprisingly from the author of "The Blue". I'm sure the resemblance to the English department at Auckland University circa 1975 is entirely unintended, if only because so many English departments are like that.

Mary McCallum said...

Thanks Vanda, Joanne, Rachael and Stephen - for taking the time to read the story as well as for your comments. Stephen, you were one of the first ever readers of The Blue (when it was still barely there in fact) and have always been very encouraging, so it's nice to know you've discovered The Stairwell too.

I'm glad you think it smacks a little of Auckland University! I so enjoyed writing it - all those years as a student and now a tutor wrapped up and poked and prodded and made to groan a bit. Very satisfying stuff.