Posts by Shari Lane

Thaumaturgy

The day the bird landed on her head, Caia was looking the other direction.

She was walking across the Hawthorne bridge, late for work again. (The really unique, spectacular thing would be for Caia not to be late, to stroll into the office at exactly 8:30, or maybe 8:25 even, with a look of casual triumph, as if it was perfectly normal to show up at the expected time, get a cup of coffee, hang up the lavender pea coat she’d bought at the consignment shop, and push the Power button on the computer with a satisfied smirk as if she, Caia, owned the morning instead of the other way around.)

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Doorways

Doorways have always intrigued me—in-between spaces that hold the promise of something . . . different. This doorway looks as though it stands between one marvelous, ivy-garlanded space and another, possibly equally marvelous space. The suggestion of the hallowed halls of a university conjures in me the remembered thrill of every new school year. The hint of golden light peering from just beyond the inner door intrigues me.

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Hooray for the Underdog

As a writer, I think a lot about what makes a hero—or a villain, for that matter. And it’s not just about developing character and story arc; stories, for me, are a way of making sense of the world. So in pondering the concept of heroism, the question isn’t whether a particular character dons a brightly-colored cape and reveals heretofore unknown super powers, but rather whether a real person voluntarily helps others, even when that choice may involve sacrifice and/or risk.

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A Love Affair with Words

Words are powerful.

It likely comes as no surprise that an editor of a literary magazine believes words and stories matter. If you’re reading this essay, I suspect you agree. At times it feels like the very survival of our species is at stake. Because we are dependent upon each other and simultaneously often have conflicting needs and wants, we must find ways to reach across the yawning void, to bridge the gap, if only momentarily, between the “you” and the “me.”

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