Story and Poem of the Month: October 2015

          ABCtales editor, Mark Say contacted me earlier in the day to pass on some much anticipated news about who and what has been awarded the story and poem of the month for October.  Here's what he had to say.

Story of the Month

Remembering Molly by Michael SR Valentine

http://www.abctales.com/story/michael-s-r-valentine/remembering-molly

An evocation of two people making an emotional connection amid desperate lives in a shabby world. It provides the details to create a harsh realism, does a terrific job at conveying the nuances of the relationship and avoids any kind of sentimentality. But it is still very poignant.

Poem of the Month

Tattoo Man by Accidentallyexisting

http://www.abctales.com/story/accidentallyexisting/tattoo-man  

A procession of grimy yet powerful images that create a portrait of a man who has effectively wiped out his own personality. It uses short, sharp lines to great effect, creates an insistent rhythm then breaks it at a key moment to intensify the strength of the picture. Terrific poem.

          Mark has been working diligently in the wings all month reading scrupulously and carefully making sure that equity is central to the judging process.  Everyone involved understands that adjudicating the two monthly winners is a huge responsibility and not one that is undertaken lightly.  On behalf of my fellow editors and all the members of ABCtales I'd like to extend a big thank you to Mark for all his effort.

Peter.