Tag: Rejection Letters

  • Short Story Review: “ODE TO LOKI, OR AN ABSURD GLORIFICATION OF EXISTENTIAL LONELINESS” by Gabriela Denise Frank

    (The non-fiction short story, “ODE TO LOKI, OR AN ABSURD GLORIFICATION OF EXISTENTIAL LONELINESS” by Gabriela Denise Frank appeared in Rejection Letters on December 7th, 2022.)

    (I do SPOIL it.)

    I stated that one of my new favorite lit mags is Rejections Letters, which I subscribe to, and I got an email this morning which featured this non-fiction short story; “ODE TO LOKI, OR AN ABSURD GLORIFICATION OF EXISTENTIAL LONELINESS” by Gabriela Denise Frank. And I think you caught that this is not a fiction short story, and I will get into that in a second.

    This is a confession/love letter to the fictional Loki character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe as played by the very talented and charming Tom Hiddleston. This is a piece that is full of references, play on words, allusion to Marvel movies and television shows, and even Hiddleston’s real life. I am sure a few went by me, but the language used makes this work feel like a funhouse of tumbling discovery. I wasn’t sure where this piece was going, but I was being entertained, and felt like I was uncovering someone’s obsession that had remained internal, only now being shared to the external world.

    I enjoyed how this expressed a very creative encapsulation of a person’s obsession. But when I went back and read the piece for a second time, I saw the trajectory of the work; the inevitable path that it took. How one starts infatuated, desiring one that might not be right, overlooking their faults, then an action occurs which changes feelings, the consummation of those feelings only to know the truth – that one cannot deny who they truly are – leaving one in a cold detached place. It was a melancholy arc; though as I said inevitable but not predicable.

    And then we are left with the label of this being a non-fiction story. Did the author have a relationship with Hiddleston? Possible but unlikely. Is this a depiction of the authors infatuation/obsession with the Loki character and Hiddleston? Very possible. But I was left churning over this “non-fiction” label for this piece. I went back to the title, or the second half of it, “…AN ABSURD GLORIFICATION OF EXISTENTIAL LONELINESS.” I feel like that could be used to describe that last two COVID years. Is this piece a confession of the author’s obsession over Loki which was used, or needed, to survive their loneliness? I don’t know. Maybe I’m projection my COVID loneliness on this piece. Oh, that would be dark, wouldn’t it? I am sure there was a reason it was labeled this way, and I don’t want to know the answer; I want to ponder, and wonder about it.

    (Hey! Thanks for making down here. If I may say, you have very good taste in blogs. Now, if you would want to return the favor of appreciation for this fine free writing, please take a moment to hit the “like” button. Thanks again for stopping by.)

  • My New Favorite Lit Journals

    I alluded to this yesterday in my short story review, which is that I have found myself reading more flash fiction and short-short stories. The sources of this material has been coming from, primarily, online lit journals, which I have been spending more of my time looking for. What I am enjoying from these publications, and this applies to most but not all, is that they are showcasing writers that are playing and experimenting with the short story form.

    I know there are many quality online publications out there, but these four I have found very intriguing and inspiring of late.

    The Drift – This is probably the most traditional of all the publications, and also not exclusively online either, as they also print their editions. I won’t lie, I’d like to work for this group. Their short story and poetry selection is great. They showcase different viewpoints and styles, and aren’t afraid to try new things. Their Mentions section is of particular note.

    Taco Bell Quarterly – When I first discovered them, I wasn’t sure if they were a joke or not. Their posts on Twitter are highly anti-publishing establishment, to the point of being militant, but still retaining a sense of humor about it all.  Supposedly, the stories they publish must have a connection to Taco Bell, which may or may be true. The point is that they publish what they like, and don’t care what anyone thinks.

    Rejection Letters – According to their own “About” page, they started out publishing fake rejection letters. What they are now is a place for short fiction and poetry that can veer into the absurd. I find that the pieces they publish to be honest, but also they can be rather funny. I subscribe to them, which gets me a daily email with a new story or poem.

    Memoir Mixtapes – This is just a good idea for a journal – it’s all essays about people and the songs they find important, memorable, or fascinating. I love finding out about new music, and I really enjoy hearing articulate people describe why songs are important to them. Not only do they select good writers, but the added bonus is going out and finding these songs that were just described to you.

    I know there are a ton of other great publications out there. If you know of any, leave their names in comments so we can all share with each other.