For this 'Red' issue, we've fallen in love with Kelly Creighton's short story 'Out of Tribeca'; here's why it was our Star Story for Synaesthesia this month:
Star Story
Carlotta: Short stories aren’t movies starring Bruce Willis. They don’t need a drive-by shooting, a tragic car accident or an apocalypse. Changes can be as insignificant as tying a shoelace or watering the plants for the first time that year. These small acts can, in turn, create significant changes in characters’ lives and thus create a powerful story.
‘Out of Tribeca’ is a moving, tender and thoughtful story about a subject matter that speaks for itself. An illness that goes unspoken between two characters - it's plausible and gripping. It lives on even after the last sentence has been read. What's more, it’s not told with added melodrama. The last words are as humble as the proposal itself. That’s the kind of story I like to read.
Annabelle: Kelly Creighton’s ‘Out of Tribeca’ exudes honesty and humanity. The story develops organically – the language is arresting, and the conversation is authentic and believable. It hums with its own sorrowful resonance, and the characters’ emotions are not overdone. What we are left with is the echo of Sophia’s secret, sending any reader to quiet reflection.
We have chosen ‘Out of Tribeca’ for its impressive blend of poignant sentiment and rough realism; a tender tale that needs no frills or fanciness, and stands strong through its simplicity.