Pteromalid wasp
I usually compare the novel to a mammal, be it wild as a tiger or tame as a cow; the short story to a bird or a fish; the microstory to an insect (iridescent in the best cases). - Louisa Valenzuela
Luisa Valenuzeula’s statement has a certain charm as she compares the very short fiction form, now known as flash fiction, to iridescent insects, but I prefer to liken them to gems, lustrous with beauty and hard as the truths they reveal. The editors of Flash Fiction International selected 86 of the best of the best stories in this form. The editors included stories from locations as diverse as The United States, Iraq, Bangladesh, Argentina and Zimbabwe. A review of all 86 stories is not possible, but a sampling serves to illustrate the diversity of voices in this collection drawn from worldwide sources:
In “The Waterfall,” Alberto Chimal of Mexico describes a ritual which combines christening and baptism. The drops of consecrated water are likened to the souls of the dead, each hoping that his (or her) name will be preserved, that their name will be the one given to the young child. Will the selected name be Guglielmo, Terencio, Jason, Emil, or some other present soul?
In “Prisoner of War,” by Mune Fadhill of Iraq, a man returns home after 18 years in an Iranian prison to see his now deceased wife’s likeness in the face of a grown daughter. He withdraws into his own world of repairing technology. He is changed and finds the world around him changed.
In “Eating Bone,” Shabian Nadiya of Bangladesh describes a wife threated with divorce after 10 years of a childless marriage. She asserts herself in a surprising way. Meanwhile, Natalie Diaz of the United States portrays a legless veteran who takes to his wheelchair and cruises the dancefloor of “The Injun Who Could,” accompanied by intoxicated tourists.
Although many of the stories are new works by contemporary writers, some very short classics have made their way into this collection. “The Young Widow,” by the Roman author Petronius joins “Appointment in Samarra” (W. Somerset Maugham) and “An Imperial Message” (Franz Kaufka).
These brief narratives range from one to three pages and each is a complete story in itself. This collection is as bright as a star field on a dark winter night.
Ray Zimmerman has organized events and served as master of ceremonies at numerous venues. His photography, nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in regional and national publications.
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Ray Zimmerman is the Senior Editor of the anthology Southern Light: Twelve Contemporary Southern Poets, and author of the Poetry Chapbook, First Days. His poetry, nonfiction, and photography have appeared in regional and national publications. He has appeared as a storyteller and a performance poet at numerous Chattanooga area events. He is particularly pleased that his poem “Glen Falls Trail” received an award from the Tennessee Writers Alliance and appeared in The Southern Poetry Anthology: Volume VI, Tennessee (University of Texas Press).