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A change of life leads to disaster.
11 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2009
7 people want to read
About the author
Alan Beard
15 books191 followersAlan Beard is a short story writer with three collections 'Taking Doreen out of the Sky' (Picador 1999, also on Kindle), ‘You Don't Have to Say' (Tindal Street Press, 2010) and ‘Afternoon Drinking’ (Floodgate Press 2025). He won the Tom-Gallon award and was longlisted for the Edge Hill prize; stories in 'Best Short Stories 1991', twice in Best British Short Stories 2011 & 2024 (Salt), Best Microfiction 2024 and many places including 'Critical Quarterly', 'Malahat Review', 'London Magazine', 'Telling Stories 3' and on BBC Radio 4.
'Short cuts full of heart and beauty...It's rare to find characters like these realistically portrayed in a humane and intelligent way, and it's not easy giving a voice to the inarticulate. Alan Beard succeeds.'
The Independent.
'Beard's stories avoid cartoon terrors and verbal trickery, and instead rely for their effects on honest observation and sharp declarative sentences.. he achieves a startling poignancy'.
Times Literary Supplement.
'Rich in detail and implication.. this is a truly fine collection.'
The Times (of 'Taking Doreen out of the Sky').
'...incisive, haunting stories ...a writer who does amazing things with the fewest possible words.'
The Times (of 'You Don't Have to Say').
'Luminous and [has] a terse immediacy...Beard has an artist's eye and an original turn of phrase'.
Sunday Times.
'Beard is a true master of the form. He is a brilliant story teller, capable of wrenching beauty from the unlikeliest of circumstances... This is an excellent collection; an observational masterpiece.'
The Short Review
Please note there is more than one Alan Beard on this site. 'Historical Tweets' is not my book even though it keeps appearing on the list below.
'Short cuts full of heart and beauty...It's rare to find characters like these realistically portrayed in a humane and intelligent way, and it's not easy giving a voice to the inarticulate. Alan Beard succeeds.'
The Independent.
'Beard's stories avoid cartoon terrors and verbal trickery, and instead rely for their effects on honest observation and sharp declarative sentences.. he achieves a startling poignancy'.
Times Literary Supplement.
'Rich in detail and implication.. this is a truly fine collection.'
The Times (of 'Taking Doreen out of the Sky').
'...incisive, haunting stories ...a writer who does amazing things with the fewest possible words.'
The Times (of 'You Don't Have to Say').
'Luminous and [has] a terse immediacy...Beard has an artist's eye and an original turn of phrase'.
Sunday Times.
'Beard is a true master of the form. He is a brilliant story teller, capable of wrenching beauty from the unlikeliest of circumstances... This is an excellent collection; an observational masterpiece.'
The Short Review
Please note there is more than one Alan Beard on this site. 'Historical Tweets' is not my book even though it keeps appearing on the list below.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 21, 2012
Read this story a while back, I remember being simultaneously repulsed, fascinated, curious, disgusted, depressed, sad, angry and titillated.
Since it's a short story, I can't say too much about it without giving away the whole story, but I will put forward that it's a first-person account by a young woman who can only be described as 'drifting', who gravitates toward a violent man and allows her life to spiral into drugs and crime. But that's not the story, just the backdrop. The actual story telescopes you into the narrator imagining...
...naw, I'd just spoil it for you.
Life is bleak for criminal youths. Empathy survives, nevertheless, and is in many ways the only direction up.
Since it's a short story, I can't say too much about it without giving away the whole story, but I will put forward that it's a first-person account by a young woman who can only be described as 'drifting', who gravitates toward a violent man and allows her life to spiral into drugs and crime. But that's not the story, just the backdrop. The actual story telescopes you into the narrator imagining...
...naw, I'd just spoil it for you.
Life is bleak for criminal youths. Empathy survives, nevertheless, and is in many ways the only direction up.
Read
September 21, 2012This just appeared on my writer page - it is actually one story from my book 'You Don't Have to say'. It came out on the 'East of the Web' site along with another story ('The Heebie-Jeebies'), and the picture was one EoW put up...
..more news - someone has made a film of this story after seeing it on East of the web - I'm so pleased. The filmmaker contacted me a couple of years ago, but I only heard recently. Haven't seen the film yet - it's only a 12 minute short - but I am being sent a copy. There's been a couple of nice reviews.
..more news - someone has made a film of this story after seeing it on East of the web - I'm so pleased. The filmmaker contacted me a couple of years ago, but I only heard recently. Haven't seen the film yet - it's only a 12 minute short - but I am being sent a copy. There's been a couple of nice reviews.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews