Short Fiction

Unlike the poetry I write, all of my fiction, whether novel or short story, is speculative. In fact, my piece “Evening in the Park” tied for 1st Place in the annual short story contest offered by Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Magazine (out of more than 4,000 entries). At the time, the magazine’s editor, T.E.D. Klein, dubbed the story “wonderfully cynical,” and “.…a nighttime encounter with destiny in an unexpected form…” Even today the same could be said of much of my short fiction. I write about fateful encounters, about unexpected forms, and often with a flavor reminiscent of The Twilight Zone TV series.

From the short story “The Painted Dog

Audio – read by the author
The audio clip here is from my short story, “The Painted Dog,” which appeared in Coffin Bell Journal. Pet portrait artist Daniel Rosen is in his studio after a disturbing phone call with a wealthy, difficult client.
Evening in the Park

—Here is my story that first appeared in Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Magazine, with only minor changes to bring it up to date: Evening in the Park Bang! Sara slammed the front door behind her and strode down the sidewalk, jamming her fists into the pockets of her sweater. She would probably freeze to death dressed so lightly, but for the moment she didn’t feel a thing. How many times have I done this in the past few weeks? she wondered, hesitating at the curb. She glanced over her shoulder at the house and considered going back to discuss the situation. Nothing could be accomplished this way. In that brief pause, the curtain at the living room window was […]

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