What do you think?
Rate this book
Something Special
Imagine that you’re a girl-woman, 18 going on 35, a hayseed blown in from the Midwest to take root as a fashion model in midtown Manhattan. Then imagine that you’re trying to take root, any root (well, most any root) with an agent who thinks he lords over that same midtown Manhattan because he happens to nest in a perch on the 85th floor of the Empire State Building.
(This is how we get started.)
Alternatively, imagine you’re that agent. That you’re a guy, wishing he were still 29 (and consequently pushing back hard on 35), whose job it is to introduce beautiful, young women to the fashion industry—an industry always hungry for fresh young faces and bodies.
(We’re still just setting the stage.)
Now imagine that you could eavesdrop on one of this couple’s likely conversations: she, eager to the point of impetuous; he, equally eager, but for a very different prize.
The questions remain: Who’s going to win, and who’s going to lose? And at what price?
Fate has a particularly unattractive way of answering those questions—in, of all unlikely places for an aspiring fashion model and her agent, the savage beauty of Yosemite National Park.
“Something Special” is the only novella—and one of five stories—in Russell Bittner’s collection Stories in the Key of C. Minor., first put out by Faraway Publishing and available here at Amazon in both paperback and digital formats.
(Special thanks to Denise Cassino for formatting the cover.)
(This is how we get started.)
Alternatively, imagine you’re that agent. That you’re a guy, wishing he were still 29 (and consequently pushing back hard on 35), whose job it is to introduce beautiful, young women to the fashion industry—an industry always hungry for fresh young faces and bodies.
(We’re still just setting the stage.)
Now imagine that you could eavesdrop on one of this couple’s likely conversations: she, eager to the point of impetuous; he, equally eager, but for a very different prize.
The questions remain: Who’s going to win, and who’s going to lose? And at what price?
Fate has a particularly unattractive way of answering those questions—in, of all unlikely places for an aspiring fashion model and her agent, the savage beauty of Yosemite National Park.
“Something Special” is the only novella—and one of five stories—in Russell Bittner’s collection Stories in the Key of C. Minor., first put out by Faraway Publishing and available here at Amazon in both paperback and digital formats.
(Special thanks to Denise Cassino for formatting the cover.)
44 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2013
3 people want to read
About the author
Russell Bittner
22 books71 followersRussell presently lives and works in Hudson, New York, USA.
Russell has two kiddoes, Chris (M, aged 29) and Alex (F, aged 26). Both are out of the nest -- which, in any case, fell apart long ago. My boy lives in Manhattan, my girl in Brooklyn. The three of us occasionally meet for lunch or dinner or even an entire weekend -- whenever, that is, one party or the other can be convinced to drive north.
Russell has two kiddoes, Chris (M, aged 29) and Alex (F, aged 26). Both are out of the nest -- which, in any case, fell apart long ago. My boy lives in Manhattan, my girl in Brooklyn. The three of us occasionally meet for lunch or dinner or even an entire weekend -- whenever, that is, one party or the other can be convinced to drive north.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 9, 2013
Here's another work by Russell Bittner that shakes, not only by the force of his narrative skill, but also by his wild imagination. Once again, the author has proven to be both a brilliant storyteller and a wise anatomist of the human soul. This is why he doesn't need cheap tricks in order to impress us. All he has to do is to offer us a mirror to look at ourselves.
At first, this amazing short story appears humorous. Speaking with musical terms, the first part brings to mind something of the lightness of the introduction to the Barber of Seville. Somewhere in the middle though, Rossini steps aside and gives his place to Mussorgsky, specifically to his Gnomus-Vivo (from his suite Pictures at an Exhibition, as arranged by Maurice Ravel.) All of a sudden, we are transferred from the light of the Mediterranean, to the menacing darkness of the frozen north. And then again, back to the everyday routine.
The night following my reading of "Something Special" I hardly slept. Why? Well, because I was obsessed by the thought that real fear emanates from the dark side of each one of us, common people. Terror doesn't need any vampires to exist. Just by being a human, we're both: possible angels and possible devils. And I'm human -if you get my point!
At first, this amazing short story appears humorous. Speaking with musical terms, the first part brings to mind something of the lightness of the introduction to the Barber of Seville. Somewhere in the middle though, Rossini steps aside and gives his place to Mussorgsky, specifically to his Gnomus-Vivo (from his suite Pictures at an Exhibition, as arranged by Maurice Ravel.) All of a sudden, we are transferred from the light of the Mediterranean, to the menacing darkness of the frozen north. And then again, back to the everyday routine.
The night following my reading of "Something Special" I hardly slept. Why? Well, because I was obsessed by the thought that real fear emanates from the dark side of each one of us, common people. Terror doesn't need any vampires to exist. Just by being a human, we're both: possible angels and possible devils. And I'm human -if you get my point!
August 30, 2023
Brilliant story. It is a delightful story that I have loved reading. I really was hooked on this book from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend this story to everyone
December 2, 2013
Imagine that you’re a girl-woman, 18 going on 35, a hayseed blown in from the Midwest to take root as a fashion model in midtown Manhattan. Then imagine that you’re trying to take root, any root (well, most any root) with an agent who thinks he lords over that same midtown Manhattan because he happens to nest in a perch on the 85th floor of the Empire State Building.
(This is how we get started.)
Alternatively, imagine you’re that agent... that you’re a guy wishing he were still 29 (and consequently pushing back hard on 35) whose job it is to introduce beautiful, young women to the fashion industry — an industry always hungry for fresh young faces and bodies.
(We’re still just setting the stage.)
Now imagine that you could eavesdrop on one of this couple’s likely conversations: she, eager to the point of impetuous; he, equally eager, but for a very different prize.
The questions remain: who’s going to win, and who’s going to lose? And at what price?
Fate has a particularly unattractive way of answering those questions — in, of all unlikely places for an aspiring fashion model and her agent, the savage beauty of Yosemite National Park.
“Something Special” is the only novella — and one of five stories — in Russell Bittner’s collection Stories in the Key of C. Minor., first put out by Faraway Publishing and available at Amazon in both paperback and digital formats.
(This is how we get started.)
Alternatively, imagine you’re that agent... that you’re a guy wishing he were still 29 (and consequently pushing back hard on 35) whose job it is to introduce beautiful, young women to the fashion industry — an industry always hungry for fresh young faces and bodies.
(We’re still just setting the stage.)
Now imagine that you could eavesdrop on one of this couple’s likely conversations: she, eager to the point of impetuous; he, equally eager, but for a very different prize.
The questions remain: who’s going to win, and who’s going to lose? And at what price?
Fate has a particularly unattractive way of answering those questions — in, of all unlikely places for an aspiring fashion model and her agent, the savage beauty of Yosemite National Park.
“Something Special” is the only novella — and one of five stories — in Russell Bittner’s collection Stories in the Key of C. Minor., first put out by Faraway Publishing and available at Amazon in both paperback and digital formats.
February 12, 2015
Wonderfull little novella musing on love, lust and trying to get what we want.
Bittner says so much, so eloquently with seeming little effort. A pleasure to read. Such mastery of language and subject.
This was my second work of Bittner's. If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out Trompe-l'oeil by the same author, a much longer work to get lost in.
Bittner says so much, so eloquently with seeming little effort. A pleasure to read. Such mastery of language and subject.
This was my second work of Bittner's. If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out Trompe-l'oeil by the same author, a much longer work to get lost in.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews