Local Authors
A Collection of Writing by Cleveland Teens. This anthology of poetry, short fiction, personal stories, and visual art created and edited by Cleveland area teens, collects responses to a question: what does blur mean to you? Teen creators answer by telling a story about a misty forest, snapping a photo through a foggy, rain-streaked window, and leading the reader on a journey to a refrigerator in the middle of the rainforest. (Yes, you read that right!) These are just a few of the many insightful, heartfelt, and powerful ways that the authors and artists in this collection explain what blur means to them.
Fierce, searing, and darkly comical, Garriga's debut collection of short-short fiction depicts historical and imagined duels, re-envisioning in a flash the competing points of motivation--courage and cowardice, honor and vengeance--that lead individuals to risk it all.
In this compact collection, "settling the score" provides a fascinating apparatus for exploring foundational civilizing ideas. Notions of courage, cowardice, and revenge course through Michael Garriga's flash fiction pieces, each one of which captures a duel's decisive moment from three distinct perspectives: opposing accounts from the individual duelists, followed by the third account of a witness. In razor-honed language, the voices of the duelists take center stage, training a spotlight on the litany of misguided beliefs and perceptions that lead individuals into such conflicts.
From Cain and Abel to Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickenson; from John Henry and the steam drill to an alcoholic fighting the bottle: the cumulative effect of these powerful pieces is a probing and disconcerting look at humankind's long-held notions of pride, honor, vengeance, and satisfaction. Meticulously crafted by Garriga, and with stunning illustrations by Tynan Kerr, The Book of Duels is a unique and remarkable debut.
The disappearance of a local girl leads Special Agent Graham Grassi right to the doorstep of the sexy redhead that has haunted him since they were part of a thwarted hijacking last week.
Questioning Mickey O'Shay cuts through him as he informs her about her missing goddaughter, one of the girls involved in his investigation. He wants to keep her safe, but she won't sit on the sidelines. The life of her goddaughter is in jeopardy and Mickey's determination has him ready to handcuff her-or kiss her-in place. As time runs out though, the stakes run higher. They both struggle to ignore their attraction as they try to unravel a web of deception-- before it's too late.