A second life for “Little Red Bird”…

James Brega: What I Write Instead of Nothing

Have you ever driven up the California coast from San Luis Obispo to Monterey, knuckles white on the steering wheel as you fight for control of the car through hairpin curves? Have you ever dreamed that you had murdered someone and, upon waking, been unable to shake the conviction that it was true? Have you ever sung onstage to a packed audience, been robbed at gunpoint by a ten-year-old, laughed when it seemed— for a moment—that a famous author had stolen your mojo, wondered why we don’t drive steam-powered automobiles, or confronted your guardian angel at high tide on a gay beach once claimed by Pilgrims ? In What I Say Instead of Nothing, James Brega invites you to explore his real, imagined, and re-imagined experiences through his collected essays and short stories—a journey that will feed your nostalgia for life at the end of the twentieth century and remind you how desperately you wish that a great deal of it had never happened.

A second life for “Little Red Bird”…

March 15, 2012

Just received word today that my story “Little Red Bird,” which was featured in the December, 2011 online issue of Foliate Oak, has been selected by the journal’s editors for publication in their annual anthology of the best stories of the year.

I’m so happy that this story has found a second life in this anthology. I like the story a lot and think of it as a tribute to my spouse John’s three sisters–Cathy, Laura, and Connie–who have taken on the responsibility of daily visits to their parents in separate long-term care facilities.

The anthology will be available in May, but you can read the story here or by clicking on the “Non-Fiction/Essays” section of this blog.

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One Response to “A second life for “Little Red Bird”…”

Alice Lowe Says:

March 15, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Great news & well deserved – congratulations!

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James Brega: What I Write Instead of Nothing