“Sunday Morning, Saturday Night” struck me as a perfect fit for Down & Out: The Magazine, and I was thrilled that editor Rick Ollerman agreed when I submitted it his way!
While my stories generally lean long, this one was purposefully short—originally written to be read at a Washington, DC Noir at the Bar. I took that five-minute time limit as a part of my challenge here, but also thought of this as an exercise in tone and in indirection, drawing in part on my admiration for Jim Thompson and the ways in which he navigates a voice that’s at once friendly and folksy and menacing. I hope it worked.
Rick found different elements here—comparing this to Richard Matheson’s work. I’ll take that comparison too, no complaints at all!
I’m honored to be in this issue with Patti Abbott, Michael Bracken, Barry Lancet, Robert J. Randisi, S.A. Solomon, and many more writers.