airyfairy's blog

This week two pieces in particular lodged in my brain and wouldn't let go. Poem of the Week is onemorething's beautiful and thoughtful 'The Loneliness of a Cuckoo'. We're used to thinking of them as the bad guys of nest-stealing, but this poem contemplates what identity means when you don't have your own place in the world: The Loneliness of a Cuckoo | ABCtales Story of the Week is Mark Say's 'Dinner with Adele'. It's far more than just another...

I hope no-one's suffering too much from the heat, choking on wildfire smoke or getting too soggy from the great British rain we're having in my part of the world. Story of the Week is another installment in the life of Mark Burrow's heatbreakingly wonderful young protagonist Jason. This chapter gives him a rare moment of triumph and exhileration, along with - as usual - some killer one liners and observations on the world. One day this is going...

The variety of work on ABC Tales never ceases to amaze and delight me, and sometimes that variety can be seen in the work of individual writers. A brilliant example of that is marandina, who has given us not only his engrossing Song to the Siren SF story, but also the beautiful and tender tale that is our Story of the Week, 'A Cat, A Leaf and Fresh Fish'. In this you will find love, loneliness and a mutual need felt and met: A Cat, A Leaf and...

Thanks again to everyone for another week of most enjoyable reading. Our Poem of the Week is skinner_jennifer's beautiful 'Miracle of Spring On Gossamer Wings'. Spring/early summer has yet to get going where I live, so it was lovely to lose myself in this meditation on each year's renewal of life: Miracle Of Spring On Gossamer Wings | ABCtales Story of the Week is 'Lucifer - What's good for the saucy gander', Jane Hyphen's sharp and funny...

It's been said before, but I'll say it again - thank you so much to everyone who took part in the Reading Night last Saturday. It was wonderful to see so many of our writers, and to hear them read. And special thanks of course to Mark Burrow for the compering and to insertponceyfrenchnamehere and onemorething for the organising. Story of the Week is jeand's 'Bitty Barby Boob, RIP'. If you've been following Jean's story, you'll be in awe of her...

Firstly, just a reminder about the ABCTales Virtual Reading Night, hosted by Mark Burrow, on 1 April. If you haven't yet, please do email rachel@abctales.com to reserve your place, with both your user name and real name. These events are always friendly, supportive and great fun, and it's lovely to see and hear new readers. Or just come along to be part of the audience! There's always new challenges to running this kind of site, and the latest...

ABC Tales writer Colin Burnett (author of the absorbing and thought-provoking novel 'A Working Class State of Mind') has an article in the upcoming issue of 'The National'. We haven't got a link for you yet, but we will post one as soon as we can. Anyone familiar with Colin's work will know that this is going to be well worth reading. We've had some wonderful stories posted during the last seven days, but after a lot of thought Story of the Week...

The diversity of the writing on ABC Tales is its greatest strength, and the Picks for this week are very different indeed. Story of the Week is Part One of ethancrane's 'Warchild', but that's only because I can't give it to both parts. Surreal, funny, acutely observant and completely absorbing, it's a cracking read: Warchild (part 1 of 2) | ABCtales Warchild (part 2 of 2) | ABCtales Poem of the Week is Kilb50's tender, poignant and beautifully...

Reading the week's new work on ABC is always a cheering antidote to the current 'cold snap' we're having in the UK. Thanks to all those who have posted such wonderful stuff over the last seven days. Story of the Week goes to ethancrane's brilliantly surreal and funny 'Your Mutual Aid Hourly Pay Insults My Intelligence'. Like all the best surreal writing, it has at least one toe firmly planted in reality, and there is nothing in it that seems...

Poem of the Week goes to 'Legacy' by Ciadish. This beautiful meditation on loss has both warmth and hope and has struck a chord with a number of readers, including me. I'm sure it will continue to resonate with many more: Legacy | ABCtales Story of the Week is the start of another of Mac Ashton's hugely enjoyable romps, 'One Night At Kedasi'. We're also promised a return visit by some of the characters from 'The First Ambassador To Crustacea',...