Winter Fiction Trilogy in Chicago
”Betsy’s Boy,” “Allegheny Lane” and “Elegy for an Ice Breaker” debut in Chicago
This is the story of mine becoming the first fiction to be published in a Chicago magazine. I think it’s relevant because it shows the power of persistence and that man is, in Ayn Rand’s words, a being of volitional consciousness—he must choose to think—and that progress happens slowly, not faster than the speed of sound, with an effort to achieve clarity, commitment, consistency, connection and contemplation.
I wrote the short story “Elegy for an Ice Breaker” as a cautionary tale. Based on an experience I had as a child venturing onto the frozen Lake Michigan in my youth, I created a plot twist which I knew could be considered provocative or controversial. I nested its message and twist in layers of storytelling to make the reader think about a boy in trouble, which I think is an often untold story. In my experience, adults are rarely able, ready and wanting to learn, let alone know, about the boy in trouble.
I found an editor who is. I pitched it last year as part of a proposed fiction series to the publication for which I’ve been writing non-fiction for years. My editor listened and politely agreed to read the story, which was subsequently declined. Holidays came and went. Weeks later, during routine correspondence, I received a note that the editor had reconsidered and wanted to publish the series. We scheduled a conference. When we spoke, I asked why. I wanted to know what prompted the change of mind. The answer surprised and enthuses me.
The editor explained that she had originally read and liked the story yet wasn’t sure it was a fit. Days, then weeks, passed. She told me that, during this time, she thought of her children and grandchildren, explaining that she awakened one morning with the story on her mind and concluded: “If I’m still thinking about this story, I need to read it again.“ She said she did, deciding that she wanted to publish the story—as the first fiction published in the magazine’s history—and asked for new short stories. Happily, I was able to oblige with a trilogy.
Each story takes place in wintertime amid snowdrifts, frost or cold air. This fits my memory of life in Chicago, when I wrapped myself in multiple layers of sweaters and socks or crouched in front of a heater under a blanket convinced that I’d contracted frostbite during the walk home from school. Another common plot point is bodies of water. A creek runs near a forest in “Allegheny Lane”. Two of the stories prominently feature a lake, with “Elegy” climaxing on a lake. The fundamental similarity in each story is the depiction of a boy or boys. That my stories gained acceptance from a lone Chicago intellectual prompted by my fiction writing to think about those she values, including children that are boys, affirms my optimism for brighter days to come.
Though my trilogy of winter stories evokes provocative themes—in scenes of mental, psychological and physical conflict—my intention is to absorb and move you with a catalyst to think. Let me know whether I succeed. Read, listen and enjoy.
Listen to the author read “Betsy’s Boy”
Listen to the author read “Allegheny Lane”
Read “Elegy for an Ice Breaker” in Classic Chicago magazine
