42 -- short story

Sat, 12 Dec 2020 09:39:57 -0500

In 42, a 20-something works random midnight shifts at a fast-food joint to connect with a youth he lost. During these graveyard shifts, he competes in burger-making contests with his younger colleagues, hiding his sense of being mismatched with his age behind a calm, confident demeaner.

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1994 -- short story

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 19:39:04 -0500

In 1994, a girl and her father travel up from Newfoundland for work as the economics of home become worse and worse. Staying with friends dredges up a past incident, and the girl questions her father’s choice to put them in this predicament. Their situation is not unique; everyone and everything on the island is making such calculations on their past and future.

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Where Things Rise, Unannounced

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 20:52:51 -0500

“Where Things Rise, Unannounced” by Erin MacNair won EVENT magazine’s 2018 Creative non-fiction contest, and was also long listed for the 2018 CBC nonfiction contest. EVENT magazine contest judge Lori Ann Wilson said: (MacNair) is acutely aware what’s on the surface is always underwritten by the past, the unknown and the unseen.” The various themes of mental illness, eco-anxiety, and parental guilt are woven into this story of struggle and acceptance.

Erin MacNair is a published non-fiction and fiction short story writer. Her work has appeared in The Walrus, Room Magazine, EVENT and other journals and anthologies. She has an upcoming speculative fiction piece in the spring issue of Prairie Fire magazine. She is currently working on a book of fictional short stories and a novel, and infrequently pens a blog: “Views from the Obtuse Angle.” Visit her website www.erinmacnair.com, for more of her work.

Find more short story podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear a new story each week.

Ark in Cinnamon -- short story

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 23:17:13 -0500

Cinnamon, Sask, is perhaps the driest place on earth, with a drought spanning years. After her divorce, a woman and her son move to the town to teach. They are not the only fish out of water or waterless plain. A Dad and his daughter are building a huge boat on the prairie, attracting the suspicion and ire of a local family.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read other stories by this writer.

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The Crucifix of Nicolo Aldovrandi -- short story

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 15:20:59 -0400

Welcome to our All Saint’s Eve edition of Fresh New Shorts. Listen to new short fiction from award-winning writers.

The Crucifix of Nicolo Aldovrandi, by John Blackmore, pays homage to the settings, characters, and atmosphere of an Edgar Allen Poe story. A Florentine priest near the end of his life is confronted about a body missing from its grave, one that should have been interred decades ago. The priest had been dealing in corpses—simple farmers, soldier, servants. But his decision about what to do with the deceased and beautiful Nicolo Aldovrandi returns to haunt him.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read other stories by this writer.

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The Chemistry of Unhappiness -- short story

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 17:22:01 -0400

"The Chemistry of Unhappiness" by Erin MacNair is a dystopian tale where humans fall victim to their own emotional states, a silent attack from the inside out can unexpectedly cause you to freeze up or burn to ash. But... there might just be a cure to save us. It was runner up in EVENT magazine’s 2019 speculative fiction contest.

Erin is a published non-fiction and fiction short story writer. Her work has appeared in The Walrus, Room Magazine, EVENT and other journals and anthologies. She has an upcoming speculative fiction piece in the Spring Issue of Prairie Fire magazine. She is currently working on a book of fictional short stories and a novel, and infrequently pens a blog: “Views from the Obtuse Angle.” Visit her website www.erinmacnair.com, for more of her work.

Find more short story podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear a new story each week.

Parallax -- short story

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 17:09:17 -0400

Today's story is "Parallax," by Terence Young. You can learn more about his writing at www.terenceyoung.ca.

"Parallax" is more a lyrical narrative than a traditional short story in that it attempts to convey the long life of a couple through a succession of details, impressions and random snips of dialogue, using at times some of the elements of poetry, such as repetition.  

Terence Young has published several books of poetry and short fiction, as well as a novel. His first collection of poetry, The Island in Winter, was shortlisted for the Governor General's award, and his novel, After Goodlake's, won the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize.

His work has appeared in journals across Canada, as well in England, France, Germany and the U.S. A third collection of poetry, Smithereens, is forthcoming from Harbour Publishing in the spring of 2021.

11 -- poem

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 17:53:40 -0400

It's Canadian Thanksgiving! We're offering a short poem from a collection that's based on seasons. This one is a wistful goodbye to summer, and to being young.

We hope everyone is safe and wish you and your families health and contentment.

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Buoyancy -- short story

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 16:54:24 -0400

Buoyancy places us in modern-day France and a blend of fairy tales. A boy and his abandoned mother befriend a young girl living alone on a sprawling estate. The sole survivor of a family boating accident, she has made a terrible bargain to survive days of being lost at sea. The boy seems to have also unknowingly made an unnatural exchange for her love.  

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Buoyancy and 17 other stories.

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A Nation the Size of a Thimble -- short story

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 21:04:57 -0400

A Nation the Size of a Thimble is based on the “micro” story that won the first Writers’ Union of Canada Postcard Story contest. Two people staying in a Halifax boarding house just after WW2 strike up a relationship based on sad stories. While visiting the cemetery where many of the dead from the Titanic are buried, she explains there is a dignity in suffering, but not in surviving. He tells her his story where survival cost him dearly.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read A Nation the Size of a Thimble and 17 other stories.

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Playing with Dirt -- short story

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 20:26:13 -0400

In Playing with Dirt, a woman who lost her husband on 9/11 deals with grief in the year after his death. He was not a victim of terrorism, but like so many in Manhattan, his body has not been found. In the following spring, she begins to discover bones in the huge yard of the sprawling farmhouse he had always wanted. Perhaps, she considers, if she can find them all and rebuild the skeleton, they will find his body too…

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Playing with Dirt and 17 other stories.

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Big Bear Lake -- short story

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 21:13:57 -0400

Tune in this week for Big Bear Lake, by John Blackmore. Hearing the story of a young kid with cancer, Dan determines the boy should have the chance to go fishing, even if for just one special time. It was something his father had always promised, but never delivered. Yet, his undependable friends make the plan challenging.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read stories similar to Big Bear Lake.

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The Rogue Elephant -- short story

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 11:38:13 -0400

This week’s story is The Rogue Elephant, by John Blackmore. Reunite with the couple from The Tornado Lovers before they married. Charlotte and Bernard are backpacking in India and learn what happens when your sense of wonder, awe and love weakens, even in the presence of a wild elephant.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read The Rogue Elephant and 17 other stories.

Find more short story podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear new stories. We will break for August and resume in September. See you then!

Skaterman Part 2 -- short story

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 14:45:36 -0400

In Skaterman Part 2, French athlete Alain has triumphed in the subway as the Silver Skater. He heads to the tip of Manhattan to see the Statue of Liberty and is met by the woman who gave him the ride from Lake Placid. In the special Liberty hotel suite, they learn together a lesson about love and relationships. Note: contains profanity and adult situations.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Skaterman and 17 other stories.

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Skaterman Part 1 -- short story

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 14:44:05 -0400

This week’s story is Skaterman by John Blackmore, and is in two parts. In Part 1, French athlete Alain Boisclair places fourth in all five speed-skating events at the Lake Placid Olympics.

Bitterly disappointed, he borrows a fellow Olympian’s bronze medal and hitches a ride to see the Statue of Liberty in New York City. His plans go awry during a violent altercation on the subway. Note: contains some profanity and adult situations.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Skaterman and 17 other stories.

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The Destroying Angel -- short story

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 15:47:02 -0400

This week’s story is The Destroying Angel, by John Blackmore. An annual fall camping trip for three 40-something friends is upended by the inclusion of Tanner, a non-stop talker and alpha male. The situation goes from irritating to deadly with the discovery of a beautiful, poisonous mushroom.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read The Destroying Angel and 17 other stories.

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Mastering Surface Tension -- short story

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 13:18:10 -0400

This week’s story, Mastering Surface Tension, is by Barbara Black. It won the Writers’ Union of Canada Short Story competition for 2017. Mastering Surface Tension takes us into the home and mind of an ordinary man with a sudden, extraordinary imagination. After a fall puts him in a coma, Bert experiences the world as if he were various insects. While human sympathy and the mundane play out around him, Bert learns to fly, mate, and walk on water.

Learn more about the writer at barbarablack.ca.

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Atomic Distances -- short story

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 14:06:27 -0400

This week’s story, Atomic Distances, takes us to a beach in Florida where an electrician watches over a group of partyers. He became addicted to saving people in mortal circumstances after trying to revive a colleague. That’s when he discovered the space separating life and death is measured in angstroms, or the width of atoms. And, that traversing those distances releases potent energy. Rip currents, as he notes, are killers.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Atomic Distances and 17 other stories.

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Ash -- short story

Sun, 07 Jun 2020 13:52:09 -0400

This week’s story, Ash, follows a young couple perilously close to the birth of their first child, the threat of ash falling on their carefully planned neighbourhood, and an older couple living next door who seem to be building a tower of household goods in their driveway.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Ash and 17 other stories.

Find more short story podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear a new story each week.

The Passage -- short story

Sun, 31 May 2020 13:05:00 -0400

In The Passage, a photographer reflects on how he got his start at 15 with a heart-breaking photo he didn’t expect from the girl he loved but could never have. It takes place at the beginning of the 1950s in St. John’s, shortly after Confederation, when Protestants and Catholics were separate tribes. "This story stuck with me for days after reading it," said the Writers’ Union Final Jury.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read The Passage and 17 other stories.

Find more short story podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear a new story each week.

Tender Fruit -- short story

Sun, 24 May 2020 16:21:49 -0400

This episode’s short story, Tender Fruit, resonates today as people make difficult decisions about their small businesses and passions that they’ve pursued.

Tender Fruit is by Deepam Susan Wadds. Tender Fruit won The Writers’ Union of Canada short story competition for 2016.

The Writers’ Union jury said, “There's gorgeous writing here, especially the human imagery to describe the peach trees that Ditch and Allie must destroy.”

Learn more about Deepam Wadds and her writing at writeyourwayin.ca.

Find more storytelling podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear a new story each week.

The Dean of Game Show Hosts -- short story

Sun, 17 May 2020 11:03:05 -0400

Tune in this week for a different form of short story. Colleagues and friends remember Jack Jefferson, the Dean of Game Show Hosts. Game shows are America’s story, more than any other medium or genre, one of Jack’s writers contends. Anyone can be a winner…or president. Follow Jack’s successes, disastrous Chinese game show, and redemption through a Plasticine panda.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read The Dean of Game Show Hosts and 17 other stories.

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The Tornado Lovers--short story

Sun, 10 May 2020 12:48:59 -0400

In The Tornado Lovers, a woman credits learning French for saving her life. Her pilgrimage to France is interrupted by a natural phenomena and a pair of young lovers with risky appetites.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read The Tornado Lovers and 17 other stories.

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Cassini's Daughter--short story

Sun, 03 May 2020 21:33:31 -0400

This week’s story features a physicist navigating love and lakes in Northern Ontario.

As he returns home from working at the Very Large Array, he reflects on the events that brought him his first telescope, the girl he loved, and her enigmatic father.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Cassini's Daughter and 17 other stories.

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The White Gorilla -- short story

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:06:32 -0400

This week’s story follows a family with high expectations for a special vacation, old guidebooks, and more baggage than what they checked for the flight. The White Gorilla was shortlisted for The Writers’ Union of Canada national short story competition.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read The White Gorilla and 17 other stories.

Find more short story podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear a new story each week.

Like I Was Fire -- short story

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 11:54:23 -0400

This week’s episode features the short story that won The Writers’ Union of Canada short fiction Competition. It’s also one of the collection’s three stories set in Newfoundland. Like I Was Fire is about a young firefighter, his demanding mentor, and the lengths he goes to earn his love.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Like I Was Fire and 17 other stories.

Find more short story podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear a new story each week.

Creation Myths -- short story

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 15:50:16 -0400

In this short story, an imaginative girl’s legends of how the world began causes her school to question if there is a problem at home. There may be, but it’s not what the school may think.

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Creation Myths and 17 other stories.

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The Falling -- short story

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 19:20:26 -0400

How do people react when a spreading, worldwide catastrophe causes people to lose gravity and fall up and off the earth? 

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read The Falling and 17 other stories. 

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Butterflies Think -- short story

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 19:11:04 -0400

In this short story, a physicist navigates marriage with a woman who thinks differently than him. A family holiday weekend explodes with the unlikely catalyst of a mis-translated Welsh word. 

Get the ebook "A Physicist's Guide to Love" to read Butterflies Think and 17 other stories.

Find more short story podcasts at Fresh New Shorts. Subscribe to hear a new story each week.