For me, there is nothing more gratifying in the world of literature than a well-crafted short story. To break a heart in fewer than 8,000 words is no easy feat, yet some writers succeed with less than two full pages. Short stories share the imagery and precision of poetry, yet don’t hide behind aesthetic ambiguity. They are bold and provocative, but above all, concise. They are the intriguing, thoughtful intellectual who rarely speaks, or the skinny kid with a strong punch. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun. Short stories are to the written word what cupcakes are to baked goods: a masterful balance of beauty and substance, the perfect size to whet an appetite, yet somehow too oft-forgotten. From Borges to Calvino, Kafka to Twain, and J.D. Salinger to Flannery O’Connor, I could easily consume them all.
The Pit of Babel
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Es muß ein Fortschritt geschehen...
Wir graben den Schacht von Babel.
Some progress must be made...
We are digging the pit of Babel.
(Franz Kafka)
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I am Katie Sharrow-Reabe and I am interested in structural and social architecture. Linguistic and cultural translation. Progress through retrospection. Subliminal and subterranean connections. And I would like you to help me put these fragments into a hole.
