PRACTICE

About the Book

Practice, twelve stories and a novella is the culmination of creative efforts written by a group of peers who had the privilege to work with one another in fiction writing workshops over two semesters in 2007 at Western Illinois University. A compilation of varying genres promulgated by diverse experiences and creative influences, Practice is published in book form both to satisfy the writers’ curiosities about the revisions of each others’ work after the workshop ended, and for a possible larger reading public. The variety of short stories, all roughly thirty pages in length (excepting Jed Hook’s behemoth novella “The Messiah Complex”), sheds light on the overall experience gained by working with a tight-knit, but loose, group of burgeoning creative writers, who, among other things, have the entire world at their fingertips. Despite the diversity of subjects and themes some threads emerge herein. Megan Barnett’s “Lines that Bend,” Ryan Budd’s “Safety in Brothers” and Raegan Christy’s “Family Ties” all explore relationships among siblings. Jed Hook’s “The Messiah Complex” pays homage to fantasy (yes, Virginia, there are Worgs here) and Luke Thompson’s “The Aim of the Saints” likewise acknowledges a debt to graphic literature (okay, comic books). Al Alford gives us his version of the road trip story in “What Are We Going to Do?” Jake Ryan’s “Red Queen” was inspired buy the writer’s interest in ants and “strange people.” Both Reno Naslund and Alison Rose have captured portraits of life here in the rural Midwest in “A Place in the World” and “Practice,” respectively. Rich Pechous describes the life of modern day hippies in “Stay Hydrated.” Ben Van Whye tackles death and the mystery of a young couple’s life together in “In His Hands.” Sean Clarke’s “2004 West Clifton Court” is the darkest, most harsh vision here; it may not rival “Two Girls One Cup” (or maybe it does) but don’t say you haven’t been warned—for the stout-hearted only. We hope there’s something for every reader here, but essentially this is a testimony to our little community of writers here at Western Illinois University, and a bid to bridge the gap between us and the community of readers here at Western Illinois University, in the rural midwest , and to the great virtual community that has existed among readers ever since writing—written language–has existed to connect us.

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