“It says something about the richness of this collection that I’ve got this far without mentioning my three personal favourites. The Girl in the Window (Brian Kirk), where a middle-aged bank manager sits in his office watching a woman undressing in her apartment across the road. He’s spent decades retreating from the world, from his wife, from his job, from his colleagues, and now he mistakes his safe, hermitic voyeurism for love. The story has a strong, pitiless ending.”
Almost exactly a year to the day of publication of Sharp Sticks Driven Nails a review by Mithran Somasundrum of the anthology has appeared in The Short Review. You can read the full review here. The anthology was published by the Stinging Fly Press and edited by Phillip O’Ceallaigh, author of two highly regarded short story collections, Notes from a Turkish Whorehouse (2006) and The Pleasant Light of Day (2009).
If you haven’t read it yet copies of Sharp Sticks Driven Nails can be bought here.
The Stinging Fly has been for some time at the cutting edge of fiction and poetry publishing in Ireland. They will be launching a New York themed issue of the magazine later this month in New York which featurs writers such as Emer Martin, Kathleen Murray, Sean O’Reilly, Keith Ridgway and Eimear Ryan among others. Check it out / buy it here.
Well done with this review Brian – it’s lovely to see the quality of your story receiving due recognition. It’s well-deserved.
Thanks David, you’re very kind.