[Short Stories on Wednesdays] Bluestem Magazine--a good source of original short stories and other literary works

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For me, upon the recommendation of Mel U of The Reading Life, I went to look up on Bluestem Magazine, a new-to-me and bookmarked-for-me site where stories, poems, and photos can be read and appreciated for free.

I read four short stories but only appreciated two--The Spirits of Imaginary Animals by Simon Jacobs and Beast and the Bear by Ethel Rohan.

It was Rohan’s work that Mel recommended to me. When I read it, I was awed at the incredibility of it all. It tells of the physical, emotional, and sexual relationship between a human being and a bear who behaves almost like a human. It acutely reminded me of sensationalized local new reports about women giving birth to fish, pigs, snakes, and the like, or about women and male horses get on together sexually. It also reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, except that Beast never turned back into a human being in the end. It’s very bizarre and Rohan, in a few words, capsuled that incredibility admirably well.

You can read Beast and the Bear by Ethel Rohan here.

On the other hand, The Spirits of Imaginary Animals tells about a Totoro, a woodland spirit from an 80s anime and how, if I want to dig crazily or overanalyze, it influences a thief to wonder how his victim is doing and go back to the site where he robbed only to be identified by a woman behind the counter. He awaits his judgment. Like the story above, it’s a quick read.

You can read The Spirits of Imaginary Animals by Simon Jacobs here.



- Nancy -