Time for another post! This time, I am sharing with you some very exciting news. You may have seen some of my posts regarding my short story compilation. Well, it’s no lie; there is a short story compilation in the works, and it shall bear the appellation of An Oval Portrait. If you know your literature, you will recognize the title as one which belongs to a work of Poe’s. It is my favorite story, and what I believe is a fitting title for my collection. Like the painter in the story, I have put so much of myself into this collection, that I nearly feel like I am passing into the compilation now. The painter, when he finished his oval portrait of his bride, exclaimed that it was indeed life. I can look at this work now and nearly exclaim the same. I am very excited about this project and very proud.

I wanted to compile my works for so long, and finally the time has come. The stories cover a time-period in my writing from 2006 – early 2012. I have placed them in chronological order, so one can follow the major themes and developments in my writing. I even found it amazing to compare my earlier writings to

the one just completed; the changes have been interesting. Maybe I have become a stronger writer; maybe I have grown darker? Either way, there will certainly be a progression present. You can decide for yourself what you find.

Each story will be accompanied by a brief introduction. I will focus on some of the themes found in the work and share with you some interesting bits of information about each short story. I think that would make for more interesting and insightful reading instead of boring, text-bookish openings. Among the openings, you will see how some of the stories originally got their start, like the work, Perpetually Seven, which came from a sickness I had while touring Beijing, China. You will also learn about another story that was originally written for a ballet company. I desire for the introductions to be fun and informative, not systematic and dull.

So, as you can see, I have a great deal of enthusiasm for this collection. It will take me a few more days to fully edit it and prepare it for the readership. I am considering a few ideas for the cover, but have not settled on anything as of yet. I will share the cover images with you once we have them nailed down.

Well, that is all for now. Thanks for reading.