Short Shorts: Sudden FictionCrossing the boundaries between poetry and fiction, narration and free verse, these stories refuse to obey formal conventions. Short Shorts: Sudden Fiction, Nancy Margulies' first book of short short stories. The characters range from an old woman rejoicing in her own face in the mirror to a young run-away, planning her nighttime adventures. Humorous, touching, quirky, unpredictable, told by a range of characters, each with their unique style. The book is the result of Margulies joining a writing group who made a commitment to each other. Consider this as an option for you: invite a group of friends who like to write to share a weekly prompt via email or in-person meetings. A word or phrase is offered. Everyone then writes spontaneously - improvisational writing - for a timed period. Three minutes, ten or twelve minutes, occasionally longer. Whatever is written is shared, unedited, or not shared, that is all up to the writer. Feedback is positive: "what I liked, what moved me, what I'd like to hear more of." As you will see in Short Shorts the result can be remarkable.
About the Author: NANCY MARGULIES authored a number of books, videos and comics as well as a one-woman play. Her best selling book, "Mapping Inner Space," has been translated into seven languages, none of which Margulies speaks. But she enjoys looking at the pictures. "Short Shorts" is her second work of fiction. The book is a compilation of her spontaneous written responses to one-word prompts sent via email. They may well be biographical, but it remains unclear as to whose biography they represent. Margulies' first work of fiction, a faux museum catalogue, is so completely fraudulent that Margulies appears as a man in the book, the alleged curator of a nonexistent museum. The "Koala Museum of Modern Art Catalogue" is available on Amazon. Meanwhile, way back in the early 1980's, Margulies developed a visual recording technique that enabled her to rapidly convey complex ideas in words and images. She managed to convince countless corporations and educational groups to hire her. She worked with President Clinton and his cabinet. She visually recorded for the Dalai Lama, Bill Cosby and everyone in between. Nancy is also one of the original practitioners of The World Cafe which is worth looking up at www.theworldcafe.com Entering the world of solo theater in 2011, Margulies authored and performed "Deaf Poets Society". She is currently bogged down in an effort to complete "Figment", her second solo performance show. Margulies' next book will be a variation on Sudden Fiction: "Sudden Friction, Stories That Rub You the Wrong Way."