Submission Windows: Stories and Verse

by Gordon Highland

Prison bars. Stained church glass. Deadlines precursing rejection. These are Submission Windows: vantage points for peeking in on—or out from—surgeons, killers, priests, perverts, inmates, athletes, musicians, and more than a few celebrities past their prime. Most clinging to frayed ropes of their own making, desperate for redemption, love, or merely an enduring pulse. For others, it’s their ambition on display, destined for humility.

These voyeuristic and vicarious vignettes include 26 short stories (many never-before published), bridged by several dozen poems exclusive to this collection, and a story notes appendix. No theme, no genre … just some troubled characters inviting you to watch.

269 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2013

About the author

Gordon Highland is the author of the novels Flashover and Major Inversions, as well as Submission Windows: a collection of stories and verse. He's published short stories in Word Riot, Noir at the Bar 2, Warmed and Bound, Black Heart Magazine, and many others. Gordon lives in the Kansas City area, where he makes videos by day and music by night.

Reviews

[Caleb Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collected works volume of Gordon Highland stories has been a long time coming. Gordon’s stories never disappoint. The only problem is that they generally appear in literary journals and anthologies only sporadically. With Submission Windows new readers can bypass the wait I’ve had to endure.

I’ll keep this review short (because, honestly, who reads lengthy reviews?). Gordon’s confidence of language, clever (but not too clever) wordplay, and perfectly measured plots make him an author to keep an eye on. Word on the street is that Submission Windows may be his last full-length volume. Please find him online and beg him to change his mind.

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bias alert: I know the author.

[Jason Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that I find myself reading so infrequently on my Kindle--if I can't fit a device in my pocket I'm unlikely to actually carry it around with me, and much of my reading is "on the go"-- is the only reason this took me a while to get through. Gordon's stuff is authentic and insightful, and while much of his material is rooted in the tertiary trenches of showbiz, his versatility shows when he switches locales and inhabits characters and genres you wouldn't expect. Think David Mitchell reigning in his word count. These stories have the mercenary confidence of a session guitarist who could solo all night if he wanted to-- fitting, given Gordon's musical background.

Of everything here, I wish we could've spent more time with the world of "Bokeh," which is satisfying as is, but felt to me only like the tip of the iceberg; surreal and sinister like the best Murakami-- a mystery that grabs you and unfolds on its own terms. I would've followed that path a long way.

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

As it is with short story collections Submission Windows was hit or miss for me. There are some good stories here it's just that some didn't do anything for me. Headshot from Warmed And Bound is a standout, as is Ysbryda, about a weird giant slug, and Shivaree from Manarchy Magazine. These are just a few good ones. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the poems. I'm just not a poem kind of guy so I'll admit I didn't really care much for those. A nice touch to the collection was the addition of story notes at the end. I've always thought it interesting to read where a writer got the idea for stories or why they wrote them. So, all in all it's not as good as his novel Flashover, which I loved, but worth a read with some cool extras included.