I’m excited to announce that my short story “The Survivors” has gone live in the fourth issue of Duende Literary. You can read my story here, but be sure to check out the other fantastic works of poetry, prose, and hybrid writing in the issue! Click here for the splash page into Duende, issue #4. Duende is operated by the BFA program at Goddard College. The journal is one of the most aesthetically striking online publications I’ve encountered. You should all keep your eyes on this one!
This new story of mine has become strangely personal during the past few months. I first drafted the story a few years ago, and I did a bit of research to tack down the details about the ocular cancer that afflicts Barry and Caroline’s daughter, Marcie. This summer, “The Survivors” became a touchstone for me. In July, my wife and I learned that Campbell, one of our beloved two-year-old cats, was suffering from an aggressive case of lymphoma. At the beginning of September, we learned that the cancer had spread to Campbell’s eyes, and it soon claimed her life. “The Survivors” now feels strangely prescient to me, and the parents’ pain that much deeper.
Patrick Thomas Henry 