“Twenty-one” published in the Hamilton Stone Review

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.

“Twenty-one” published in the Hamilton Stone Review

October 10, 2015

From “About us” at the Hamilton Stone Review:

“The Hamilton Stone Review is part of a movement of small, independent publishers and publications dedicated to distributing high quality fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. We intend to encourage writers, whether unpublished or established, by bringing their work to readers by way of this online literary magazine.”

The author at about age 21.

There are certain milestones in most lives that are culturally important, whether because of privileges earned, deeds accomplished, or lessons learned. For me, my twenty-first birthday was one of these milestones. This story describes a birthday for the narrator that went disappointingly (and somewhat humorously) awry. I’m not saying it was mine, but…

Read “Twenty-one” here.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

James Brega: What I Write Instead of Nothing