Please pardon us for snitching the title of William Faulkner’s momentous novel about race relations in the 1930s South, but it’s on our minds a lot as we continue to see ugly racism rampant in our country. Which, of course, begs the question posed in the gorgeous song, “Why Can’t We Live Together“, performed by Diana King and Kyle Eastwood.
We hope you’ll find interesting and provocative aspects of what’s good about a diverse culture in our offerings this month. That’s about it, save for the more obvious metaphor of our contributors shedding some light into your own personal August with our bountiful creative offerings.
Fiction. Sandor Blum has given us a short story about an American Jew who encounters latent – and perhaps blatant – discrimination in “My Last Night in Paris.” We also welcome back to the FC the wife-and-husband creative work of Kathryn Holzman and Lew Holzman. In their return this month, they collaborate on Kathryn’s short story “Amnesia” with original illustrations by Lew.
Poetry. FC welcomes a new young poet, Irene Son, and her charming poetry. More about Irene when her poetry appears. John Grey returns from last month with three new poems to savor. Last but far from least, Simran Gupta, FC’s poetry barista, reviews Paula Bonnell’s chapbook, “Tales Retold.”
Art. At long last we welcome the Colombian artist Diego Velez and his wonderful paintings to the Café. While he works with simple colors and lines, you’ll be struck by how evocative his work really is.
Podcast. We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed last month’s “Tiny Dreams” from ZBS Media. And now, for something completely different: We dip into the archives of…well, Archives, to bring you excerpts from four very different 20th-century novels, as usual one each Friday. Pssst! No trailers, no spoilers, no peeking, but they’re all great listens, and you’ll love ’em!
Thanks for your ongoing support and especially your comments, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for more great news from your baristas at the Fictional Café.
Happy August!
Jack