Grant Faulkner

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Puerto del Sol: ‘Blue Highways’

February 12, 2014 by Grant Faulkner 2 Comments

Puerto_2013-fallYears ago, I was regularly honored and cursed by the responses I received from the lit mag Puerto del Sol. Honored because I always received a personal note from the editor about the strengths and weaknesses of my story (yes, this was before online submissions, and the notes were quite thorough and thoughtful). Cursed because, well, I received rejections, and I couldn’t figure out how to break through (perhaps because I stubbornly didn’t receive the feedback too well).

I didn’t submit anything to Puerto for at least a decade, so I was happy when my last submission was accepted for their Fall 2013 issue. Unfortunately, it’s only available in the print issue, so I’ve posted the story below.

Early review: last night my daughter Simone read it. She turned to me afterward and said, “I don’t get it.” The eight-year-old market will forever elude me.

Oh, and Puerto editor Emily Haymens interviewed me for Puerto‘s blog a while back as well.

Here’s the 100-word story…

Blue Highways

Sal often missed highway exits. Perhaps because he was dreamy, perhaps he just trusted that the road he was on would get him where he needed to be. He was surprised when he returned home one day and discovered his wife had left him. He called her cell phone, but she’d stopped her service. Her closet was empty except for the dresses he’d given her. On the closet floor was a collage she’d made titled “The Places He’ll Never Take Me.” For her 40th birthday, he’d put on a gaudy cape. He’d tried to pick her up in his arms.

Filed Under: Writings Tagged With: Flash Fiction

Comments

  1. Cynthia Madix says

    February 12, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    Hi Grant! I get it and I love it! I am also so inspired by your ability to tell a complete and complex story in 100 words.
    See you soon!
    Cynthia

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Hacking Grant #Nerdlution #18 | momisatwork says:
    February 14, 2014 at 12:46 am

    […] story “Blue Highways.” His original story, recently published in Puerto del Sol, can be found here. Go read it, and don’t forget to tell him how great it is, because it’s really quite […]

    Reply

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Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, co-founder of 100 Word Story, writer, tap dancer, alchemist, contortionist, numbskull, preacher. Read More…

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