“Pornography for the Gods” – a short story published in The Queer South

My short story, “Pornography for the Gods,” was published in The Queer South Anthology: LGBTQ Writers on the American South.  The anthology, nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, was published by Sibling Rivalry Press in 2014.

Order your copy from the publisher here.

You can also order a copy on Amazon.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the story:

“It says so in the Bible,” she said, her back to me.  I stared at the poofy, peroxide-tinged curls hanging down her back like orange cotton candy.

“Really?” I asked.  “It says that?”

“Yes, of course,” she answered with a certainty I didn’t yet know how to doubt.  “The Bible talks about demons walking the earth in different forms. Gay people are just one of ’em–one of the disguises they use.”

Although I’d never heard of these so-called demons before, it was hard to question my sister’s biblical expertise.  I mean, she could have been right since I never paid attention to anything in the Bible outside the book of Revelation.  Most of the rules and stories filling the rest of the holy book bored the hell out of me.  But what kid wouldn’t be captivated by tales of a great beast, the end of time, and all the other apocalyptic doom in Revelation?

“Sweet Lips” – a story published by The Gambler

Check out my short story “Sweet Lips,” published by The Gambler.  It’s free to read online!  It was published in March 2015.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the story:

On her way to the steak house, she thinks about what a nice, polite boy Buddy seems to be. He can’t be more than seventeen or eighteen. He’s so different from the other boys, the ones who hang around the parking lot at Simon’s every Friday and Saturday night, always waiting for something to happen. Or maybe she’s the one who’s different. The current batch of boys represent the new generation of rednecks with nothing better to do than park their pickups and shoot the shit with their friends, not exactly looking for trouble but not shying away from it either. With round canisters of tobacco stuffed in their back pockets and cigarettes handy on the dash, they’re largely indistinguishable from the boys who hung out there when Tiffany was a girl, which wasn’t that long ago.

[full story]

“Grow” – a short story published in ImageOutWrite v.5

My short story “Grow” was published in ImageOutWrite Volume 5 (September 2016).  Check out their website to order a copy: ImageOutWrite

You can also order your copy on Amazon

Here’s a brief excerpt from the story:

The botanical gardens look different at night, or so John imagined.  Even though the grounds were part of the university, only a mile or so down the road from his dorm, he’d never actually visited before.  As the trees rattled in the wind, he looked over at their crooked, knobby branches hanging over the gates like claws.  From there, his eyes landed on the thick, rusty chain padlocked across the front entrance.  There was something ominous about the place.  Still, seeing as how it was so removed from the bustle of campus life, it seemed like the sort of place one could use to take a break from all the noise – that is, in the light of day, during regular visiting hours.  At the same time, a certain comfort comes with the cold dark of night.  Beneath a silent, black sky, secrets can remain hidden in the shadows where they belong

“Saving Ben Affleck” – a short story from 2006

Back in July 2006, The Blotter Magazine published a short story of mine called “Saving Ben Affleck.”  Below is a brief excerpt; click here for the full story (it’s a pdf of the full issue, so just scroll down to find my story):

I just saw Ben Affleck. Ok, well, he’s not really Ben Affleck, who I don’t find attractive at all. But let’s call this guy Ben Affleck. You see, when I met him, I let him know how much he resembled Mr. Affleck … but not in a bad way.

From then on, I’ve referred to him as Ben Affleck.

At times, I can’t remember his real name. If I happen to be with a friend and see him some where around campus, I might say, “Oh my god — there’s Ben Affleck.”

Then, I have to explain that, no, Matt Damon’s celebrity friend isn’t hanging out at our little university herein North Carolina – it’s his younger, more attractive doppelganger …

[full story]