Unheroic, heroic

One shortcoming of lit-blogs is they tend to focus on Big Fiction -- which is fine, and understandable, but means that lesser-known writers remain perpetually marginalized. Therefore, for what it's worth, I've decided to periodically bring attention to online fiction that I think is worth reading. Below are some recent examples.

They are quite different from each other stylistically. And they deal with very different situations. But all of them share the same quality: emotional authenticity. Furthermore, since there's been some discussion in the lit-blogosphere recently about what, exactly, literature really is (and whether this something is any good), I think they help illustrate part of literature's essence. They are about real people. Or rather, since that phrase is a cliche, they are about unheroic people who nevertheless become heroic through their honesty. In other words, one quality that distinguishes literary writing from other forms of fiction is the action of becoming conscious of the truth about one's feelings ... and then telling it.


"Lookout" by Bobby Farouk, of MRBFK

"Rest Stop" by Matt Bell, of mdbell.com

"Discrete Dainty Diva" by Ryan Kamstra of Standard Hostility Index

[Note: Bell's piece is a podcast. You have to click on the link and then listen.]