My short story “Separated” is featured in the latest issue of The Antigonish Review, published at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

“Separated” is the third story in a trilogy that appears in my first collection, Men and the Drink. Part one, “20 Grit”, was published in Front & Centre #22. “Crappy Little Job” is the second story.

“Separated” Excerpt:

“With no cuts or scrapes to solve the mystery of my injury, I surf the web for information.

Dislocations, rotator cuff tears, tendinitis, bursitis . . . I stop at separated shoulder – the junction of the clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade), and humerus (arm bone) is disrupted. It is usually the result of a sudden traumatic event. Pain is severe at the time of injury. Alcohol’s oblivion spared me this. A small bump appears over the injury. I stand square in front of the mirror and see the protrusion. Separations are graded one through six, six being the worst.

Throbbing intensifies, and I wake nightly when inadvertently rolling onto my right side. By Sunday I concede the need for medical attention—a trek to the local emergency room in the morning.

No visible war wounds from the small mass gathered here today.”

Note: this story had thirteen rejections from literary magazines and journals before finding a home on the east coast… a reminder of the importance of patience, perseverance, and the belief in one’s own work.