To the Point

Who can resist reading about a slice of life, true or imaginary?

Stories, whether passed down orally between one generation and the next or written down and printed, are part of our inheritance. Short stories are the essence of fiction, the bare bones of a situation without the supporting cast of long descriptions, background details, additional characters and complicated plots. Short stories occupy their own place in the world of fiction. Their endings can reveal more questions than answers and therein lies their power.

'To the Point' consists of fifteen short stories and eleven poems. The stories cover a variety of subjects and situations. Many of the themes are not new, they are familiar and universal, describing crises and conflicts in people's lives. Others are based on ephemeral, or perhaps imaginary, circumstances. What might be the connection between the economy and rainbows? What is it like to discover life-changing newspaper cuttings in your deceased parents' attic? Two of the stories feature animals and one is about a bunch of flowers! Some revive existing tales and relate them to modern life. One or two are a bit strange. What might members of the government possibly do after cabinet meetings?There is a hint of political awareness discernible in places. The idea that less is more is apparent when reading this small book. A story or poem can be read in the time it takes to have a coffee. They are for busy people and will also appeal to neurodivergent readers.

The poems are a mixture of light-hearted and serious. There's a poem on Scrabble and another on moths, not to mention one on Pavlova! They aim to induce a smile, or awareness of a problem, or perhaps both. Although brief and simple, both the stories and the poems aim to be entertaining, thought - provoking and relevant.