* Topless and potbellied, Elmer glugs on a beer. He is sprawled across the butterscotch sofa. Still, he listens for Pinky, for the girl who hides above him. The plunks of her remote control. A toilet’s swill. A closing cupboard. Elmer, though, only finds bleak silence. His door unlocks, the hinges keening. Reggie shuffles through.
* Reggie troops down the aisle, sweeping up the remains of a wilted bouquet. He pushes petals into neat miniature piles and, for a mini moment, pretends that he is marching toward someone of his own. Yes, yes. I have seen him parade like this before. Each time he becomes glazed with hope. A speck
* Reggie spots Maria’s corn cart steaming on the sidewalk. He sees buttered cobs, silk, pails, root beer, salt shakers, napkins, salsa. “Hey, Reggie,” Maria calls out. She jiggles, clad in shorts and towering heels. Stray whiffs of corn stalk the atmosphere, swabbing Reggie’s face. “Hey, Maria,” he replies. She pumps and twirls beside her
* Reggie waves to the receptionist. Jo Jo leans through the fingerprinted Plexiglas window. “Your father came to see Dr. Dann this morning,” she says. “For his toe.” “Is he okay?” Reggie asks. “Yeah. It’s just swollen. And he’s, like, gained four more pounds.” “Really?” Her frizzed ponytail swings sideways. “He just keeps getting bigger
With gratitude to Chelsea Station Editions and Michael Graves, we are honoured to present the first Chapter of Michael’s debut novel; Parade. Over the course of the next five days you can read a week-long serialisation of Chapter One; ‘Genesis’. Enjoy… * Morning cracks to life. The custard-colored sky douses Reggie Lauderdale. He sleeps, a rosary
Luiza Sauma Luiza Sauma was born in Rio de Janeiro and moved to London with her family when she was four; she has lived there ever since. After studying English at the University of Leeds, Luiza worked at the Independent on Sunday for several years. She has an MA in Creative and Life Writing from
Quirk Books and STORGY are joining forces for a rather ‘Peculiar’ giveaway! (UK entrants only) To celebrate the DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital release of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children on the 13th December, 2016 – STORGY Magazine will publish a review of the critically acclaimed novel followed by an exclusive with author Ransom Riggs, and
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them begins with an introduction – by way of dramatic effect – to our protagonist Grindelwald– via a montage of his villainous acts (for the novice, a montage is a series of moving shots, in this case; newspaper articles). It works well, however, I couldn’t help but desire more; I
The Hidden People is a novel firmly steeped in the Gothic tradition, with Victorian-styled prose that explores the familiar dichotomies pertinent to literature of that era: city versus rural, genteel versus peasant, fact versus fiction, real versus imagined. Unfortunately, the effect it produces on the reader is also one of dichotomy: at times carrying off
Sometimes the change in tone, in storyline, of a novel can be so unexpected, so jarring, that the reader feels completely derailed. It’s as if you’re on your way somewhere expected, you’re enjoying the travel and the view, when all of a sudden there’s an almighty crash, the ground is suddenly the sky and people
