Category: Fiction

The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Fiction

Aimee Keeble: Red Dog, a short story

Southern Legitimacy Statement: Growing up in Florida during the war with Iraq I saw the resulting effects ravage a generation of young men with all good intentions. Red Dog Mama cracked an egg and I fell out punch drunk that’s how...
The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Fiction

Peter Stavros: Smoke, a short story

Southern Legitimacy Statement: Although a Northerner by birth (NYC), I was raised in Eastern Kentucky where my family returned after Dad was done working for J. Edgar and the Feds. I attended college in North Carolina before I too was pulled...
Fiction

Carolyn Flynn : Improvising

Southern Legitimacy Statement: My Southern Legitimacy Statement: I am a native-born Kentuckian with a journalism degree from the University of Kentucky and quite a few past newspaper lives in the Bluegrass State and one in Mississippi, which is where I really...
Fiction

Dale Wisely: Dead Bulls

Southern Legitimacy Statement: Dale Wisely grew up in rural Arkansas. His father didn’t speak much, but Dale remembers these two things his father said: (1) Son, your oil is the lifeblood of anything mechanical and (2) Boy, you get back in...
Fiction

CL Bledsoe: Going to Jackson

Going to Jackson We left Sara standing outside a gas station in Jackson, Mississippi, waiting for her Mom, who lived just down the street.   “You better go before she sees you,” Sara said, hugging me. “Thanks.” “No problem,” I...
Fiction

Audrey Wick: Blown

SLS: I am Texas born/raised and can write as well as I can two-step. But weddings can make my stomach sick, just like my main character in “Blown.” Blown Weddings always made my stomach sick. My older brother Juno’s first...
The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Fiction

Bobby Wilson: Greens

Southern Legitimacy Statement: My father calls it Lou-Z-anna, Winnfield to be exact. Home of Huey Long and two other governors. The shotgun house he grew up in still stands. Greens On Saturday we go to 李敏’s (li3min3) parents’ house for...
The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Fiction

Claire Fullerton: Perfect Circle

Southern Legitimacy Statement: Claire Fullerton is from Memphis, Tennessee, which immediately brings to mind the Mississippi River; the bridge that hovers over it on its way to Arkansas in the graceful shape of the letter M; historic Beale Street, Victorian...
The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Fiction

Stephen Harris: Stronger Than Breath

Southern Legitimacy Statement: Stephen Harris is from Cayce, SC and currently lives in Raleigh, NC. He eats a biscuit for breakfast every Friday because he used to eat a biscuit for breakfast everyday. He just ate a Cheerwine donut and...
The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Fiction

Rob O’Hara: A Mouthful of Eel

Southern Legitimacy Statement: I was born and raised in Oklahoma. I spent the first half of my life trying to get out of this state and, after moving to the northwest for a couple of years, hightailed it back as...
The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Fiction

Nathan Leslie: Until Further Notice

Southern Legitimacy Statement: I have lived in the Commonwealth of Virginia since 2002. Until Further Notice I can keep a secret.  I always could.  So when IBC approached me about running the motel, I jumped on the op.  Living there was...
The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature
Fiction

Bill Prince: Why Dogs Don’t Live Longer

Southern Legitimacy Statement: Earnest and I were bird hunting around the back cornfield near the property line a the dairy we were hunting, when Joe, Earnest’s pointer spooked up a bunch of buzzards. Didn’t know the significance then but this was...