Lists, Waves and Smiles, Monkeybicycle and Border Towns

Ravi Mangla made a list of Wigleaf stories, not eligible for inclusion in the Wig's Top 50 for obvious reasons, because Ravi makes lists. This is a good one. Work from Amber Sparks, Jim Heynen, Anne Valente, Mel Bosworth, Steve Himmer and truck loads of others.

Waving and smiling, Martha Williams also made a list. I'm addicted to lists. Martha listed up some blogs for folks to read and some journals for folks to read. I think she's right, right and right. And I thank her from the bottom of my bottle for including A-Minor and Bent Country on that list. Writers include Michelle Elvy, Christopher Allen, Kirsty Logan, Sam Rasnake, Robert Vaughn, Claire King, and all the others good stuff waving Martha's way and waved by to us like wind magic as pixie dust. Journals deservedly dropped into the list include Ramon Collins' The Linnets Wings, Metazen, The Pistol Mice (formerly BLIP and formerly before that other things), and some I've not yet read but will soon.

Go take a ride on Monkeybicycle, okay? It's a nice ride today and here is the permanent link to a group of the one-sentence stories they have up there today. One ultra-fast awesomeness from Donora Hillard, Len Kuntz, Brad Modlin, Bruce Harris and varying other ninjas of the one-sentence form. Reading this reminded me again of the maybe the most important rule in writing micro or mini-micro stories. Titles are everything in this form. Everything.

There are more good stories than you can shake a stick at 52/250 this week with the theme "Border town" as a prompt. This week some fine folks keep up the flashing tradition. So, open your robes and join in. Read while you flash. Write while you flash. Flash.

One year ago today J.D. Salinger died. I'm reminded of this by Katie Jean Shinkle who posted this killer cartoon at Facebook. Thanks, Katie.

Metazen has a new sister-cousin website called HOUSEFIRE. It's hot. Hot like Scarlett. Put some oven gloves on and have a look, kay?

And lastly, the fights have come to an end. The wrist tape has been cut away at Mel Bosworth's Eye Brains "writer fights." Matt Bell emerges victorious against Blake Butler while Roxane Gay took out a scrappy xTx in the second fight. It's all good either way. I'm convinced a person should get his or her ass whipped at least once a year. A bloody nose or black eye has a steady way of putting things back in perspective. It's never failed for me.