Posted by George Polley on Sunday, May 12, 2013,
In :
short story
The ancient bird
We were in the midst of one of those late winter storms that Minnesota has when I saw him. It was one of those storms that dumps heavy, wet snow and blows it around in blasts of icy needles that sting your face and takes your breath away. As I stepped out through the door of the hospital where I work, the wind lunged at me, and I set off running for the bus shelter with one hand on my hat and the other gripping my briefcase. My face burned from the cold. Behind me the big fl... Continue reading ...
Posted by George Polley on Tuesday, December 13, 2011,
In :
Art of writing
What makes a story a short story?
The most effective -- and creepiest -- short story I have ever read was a page and a half long in a paperback “pocket” book that I read back in 1954 or 55. I don’t recall the author’s name, but I do recall the story in every chilling detail. Set in the parking lot of a hospital at the end of her 3 - 11 shift, a nurse was getting into her car when a criminally insane patient she knew came up to her, killed her and ... well, you can imagine how the r... Continue reading ...
Posted by George Polley on Friday, July 1, 2011,
In :
short story
Since it was a beautiful, sunny day, grandfather decided to
walk along the Motsukisamu River, which was near
the condominium where he and grandmother lived.
As he was leaving, grandmother said: “Now, you be careful of
those dogs that run around there, because they bark, and they've been known to
bite, especially one of them. That little monster is a vicious little gray
devil with very sharp teeth, who has b... Continue reading ...
Posted by George Polley on Wednesday, May 11, 2011,
In :
short story
This is a story about Grandfather and a deer that predates Grandfather's meeting Sir Raven, his big raven friend. Set on the farm of Grandfather's brother, it is a poignant story of compassion and recovery.
Grandfather and the Deer
One
One morning when grandfather and
grandmother were visiting his younger brother on the family farm, grandfather
looked out the window and said:
“Look, broth... Continue reading ...
Posted by George Polley on Wednesday, August 26, 2009,
In :
Art of writing
Listening to stories is something we learn as children. To a
writer, listening is vital, because stories are are everywhere, free
for the taking when we take the time to listen for and to them.
It's
amazing to me what I've learned over the years by listening, asking
clarifying questions when appropriate, and allowing the person to
tell his or her story as I sit and listen. Some years ago I wrote and
published “Requiem for Blue”, a story about an ex-convict who had
spent 30 years in priso... Continue reading ...
Posted by George Polley on Thursday, March 19, 2009,
In :
Art of writing
I recently ran across a quote that perfectly describes my experience with writing short stories and working on a novel, both of which I am doing. The quote is from novelist and short story writer Haruki Murakami, and is in the Introduction to the English edition of his short story collection "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman". "To put it in the simplest possible terms," he writes, "I find writing novels a challenge, writing short stories a joy. If writing novels is like planting a forest, then wr... Continue reading ...
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About Me
| George Polley |
| Sapporo, Japan |
I'm an author, fiction writer and poet. My recent publications are "The Old Man and The Monkey," "Grandfather and the Raven", and "Bear", a story about an unusual dog and his human friend Andy, published by
Taylor Street Publishing, San Francisco. A collection of short stories, "Fernandez' Tale and Other Stories", and a poetry collection "Seeing: Collected Poems, 1973-1999", were published by Tortoise & Hare.
I love telling stories, so drop by from time to time for updates.
My publisher is Taylor Street Publishing in San Francisco, California.
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