“Do you suppose we took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in Brigadoon instead of Essex, Connecticut?” Whitney stared out the front window of the BMW with the rapt attention of a moviegoer at an old fashioned drive-in; except the big screen she was watching was the heart of a real small town. “No… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Sidney Stark
Things That Go Bump!- ‘writing about what haunts us’
A recent Opinionator article by Peter Orner in the NY Times, titled “Writing About What Haunts Us”, stuck a commemorative thorn in my side. His piece addresses guilt as a motivation for writing fiction in general, and a particular incident in his young life that haunted him so deeply he had to turn to non-fiction… Continue Reading
Certain Liberties- Chapter Two
He put out his hand and bowed slightly, assuming it would be expected when greeting an English girl. “Adriaan Hindrick Klass Van Cortland de Koningh III,” he said. Her reaction told him all he needed to know about his new house guest. “I’m twelve years old,” he added. Her expression changed not at all under… Continue Reading
Certain Liberties – Chapter One
Emily was a hostage. She could taste the stale air from heavy brocade draperies pulled shut to keep out the light; or perhaps to keep her in; she never knew which. They needn’t have bothered. The death rattle rumbling in her chest with every breath in and out guaranteed her submission and killed any hope… Continue Reading
Cold Feet- Christmas in Stowe
“I hate Christmas in New York.” My father muttered his message loud enough to be heard. My mother and I looked at each other, neither one of us able to pretend we were shocked by his Scrooge-like attitude. She winked at me. “No wonder,” she said, sympathetically. Even in the 1950’s, enjoyment of Christmas in… Continue Reading
Musical Muscle Memory
Ker-thump! Ker-thump! The same sound repeated over and over again with short breaks between percussions. The thump was loud enough to send a tremor through the floor. It reached out under the closed door to the music room, where Emily sat in the hall propped up with her legs sticking straight out in front of… Continue Reading