Abby Normal

by Mike Hackney

She had held many dreams concerning what life was supposed to be like in a perfect world-wherein, she would get up early after a night of reading. Her lunch would be packed. Her perfectly hemmed clothes would be laid out for her on the bed. And, she would greet the morning with thankfulness and unbounded energy. Having all her files and papers neat and organized, she would then set off to write and spend the entire day writing. Then she would meet her wildly perfect lover boy at the park for a walk and a make out session. Then, dreamily, she would return home again each night, preparing to do it all over again. As is, the voices are exploding in her head. She is naked and bleeding in places she would never dare show her mother. She is looking into the vast canyon that has become her life; and in this moment, Becky is deciding, much against her will, to simply plunge ahead into darkness. She does not want to end her life; but, she feels now that the choice is no longer hers to make.

184 pages, Hardcover

First published March 29, 2012

About the author

Mike Hackney is the author of several books, including Learning to Write, Mid-Western Shoes: Your Poetic Self All Over Again, Inescapable Possibilities, Abby Normal, and The Downturn. In 2023, he released an album with musician Scott Fish entitled "The Unforgivable Gossamer Sadness", with proceeds going towards Toledo homeless shelter Family House.

He received a BFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University in 1993 and an MLS in 2006 from the University of Toledo. His work has appeared in Prairie Margins, The Insider, The Bowling Green Daily Sentinel Tribune, and The Cornfed Angel. He has worked as a co-administrator, a teacher, and a counselor for the YMCA School's Out Program. In 2003, he received a grant from the Ohio Arts Commission, and he has also served as a Scholastic Writing Awards Judge. He currently lives in Toledo, Ohio.