I thought this was going to be an enjoyable task, and on some level it was, but mostly I have found it to be a daunting one. The reason is simple. Almost everything posted on Fictionaut is worth a look. The writing here is highly original. The writers are also very genuine to boot. And they never seem to give up on themselves or their art for too long after a setback before they are back on track with another try to get your attention and be noticed for their creative efforts. This makes me smile all the time. Fictionaut is full of amazing people who love to read and write. But it’s very difficult to isolate the overlooked writer on board because they don’t stay hidden for long. At first I would leave my own little comments, come back and discover that the comments on a particular piece were beginning to multiply. (This knocked them out of the race for Editor’s Eye, where we get to celebrate some of the works posted during the last 2 weeks that received 5 or fewer faves.) Then I simply didn’t leave any comments at all, but just kept my eye on a piece I liked. Inevitably, someone else noticed that work, too, eventually, which is nice, which is great, but it makes it so hard to pick out and promote pieces that may have accidentally been overlooked in the daily process. So my hat is off to all those who came before me and spotted their list of gems. It’s harder than it looks. Here’s a sampling of what I found, in no particular order:

Sunburn by Maria Rumasuglia

A beautiful love song that sings its heart out and bravely sculpts the person in question out of ache and knowing, a complete and tender picture. Bravo performance.

gravelortian part 9 by Chad Smith

Poetry that yawns and screams at you at the same time is pretty hard to pull off under any circumstance: ”Take an axe to the machines/ See the robot run away with the spoon/ Connect the borrowed jumper cables and shock it awake a few more times.”

Five Million Yen: chapter 71 by Daniel Harris

Ben plays politics and life goes on.

Miguel’s Fence by Rudis Muiznieks

Nicely done, beautifully set up, so good, a full rounded snapshot of the meaning of meanings.\

In Knucklebones, This Is What We Keep by Peter Richter

a children’s game mined for rich metaphor, both clever and telling.

The Lovers by Marc Lowe

Very much like a surrealist painting, but what I like, what I look for, is sentence structure and courage in syntax — all here.

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Darryl Price is the poetry editor for Olentangy Review.

Editor’s Eye is curated by Michelle Elvy (Fictionaut profile here). She writes and edits every day at michelleelvy.com, and readers can also find her editing Blue Five Notebook (with Sam Rasnake) and Flash Frontier.

 


  1. Carol Reid

    Just what I thought, Darryl. This is an enjoyable and daunting task, and I’m glad to see Editor’s Eye continue. Going to check out your selections now!

  2. Sheldon Lee Compton

    Sure looking forward to reading these highlighted stories, DP. I’ll be back here to share my thoughts with yours soon!

  3. Sheldon Lee Compton

    All good selections, D…I especially enjoyed Marc Lowe’s “The Lovers”. Trying now to see if he’d like to have it published at Revolution John.

  4. Ann Bogle

    This is the most emotionally inclusive and reassuring introduction to Editor’s Eye we have seen, difficulty in the task of choosing notwithstanding. I am happy to see Dan Harris’ chapter here as well as Marc Lowe’s very short story and will visit the others, too. Cool! Sheldon Lee Compton can pick up Marc Lowe’s piece.

  5. Bill Yarrow

    Good, eclectic selection, Darryl. Excellent intro also.

  6. Joani Reese

    Thanks, Darryl. Good choices.

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