Waiting

by Henry Martin, Karl Strand (Photographer)

Waiting is a short story (circa 1000 words) about loss, pain, and the impossibility of letting go.

KSHM Project is the result of a joint collaborative effort between award-winning Australian photographer Karl Strand, and American author Henry Martin. Aiming to combine striking visual images with thought-provoking prose, the goal for this project is to create one-of-a-kind tales that delve deep into the human consciousness, while addressing some of the struggles our contemporary society faces. Our work ranges from short vignettes and captions to complete short stories.

21 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2014

About the author

Henry Martin used to write fiction and poetry, which predominately deals with the often-overlooked aspects of humanity.

He is the author of three novels: Escaping Barcelona, Finding Eivissa, and Eluding Reality; a short story collection, Coffee, Cigarettes, and Murderous Thoughts; and a poetry collection, The Silence Before Dawn. His most recent published project is a collection of Photostories in five volumes under the KSHM Project umbrella, for which he collaborated with Australian photographer Karl Strand, combining one of a kind images with short stories and vignettes.

He is currently not working on any new writing, and does not anticipate any new writing in the future.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not easy to review this short story associated with a picture without giving spoilers. I'd just say the words are conducive to the picture, and the author plays with it skillfully, steering the readers into a quite surprising outcome.

[Edward Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. I don't know what I can even say since it's so short and anything is likely to be a spoiler.

It definitely evokes feelings. Give it a try. It will only take a few minutes. See if it surprised you the way it did me.

[Christine Hayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I purchased “Waiting” a short story with accompanying photo by the KSHM Project. I do not know the author, Henry Martin, personally but have had encounters with him on the Goodreads site. I have never had any contact of any kind with the photographer, Karl Strand. The comments that follow are my own personal opinion. I received NO compensated of any kind, or from any one, to provide this review.

I found the photo to be particularly haunting and read the accompanying short story with great anticipation. I feared the worst and although the story has a surprising twist at the end, it is a very emotional experience. This story stays with you for a very long time. The added photo provides a visual that makes it even more memorable. I would highly recommend this story.

[Roberta Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting is a story of loss – a loss all the more painful for having tried to do all the right things to avoid that very loss. It’s painful. A constant rehash for the protagonist that is inescapable. Again, as an instalment of the KSHM Project, Mr. Strand’s photography accompanies Mr. Martin’s story, and in this instance, they have identical tone of solemnity and sobriety. And still, a breath of hope wings through, as echoed in the title – all things change, and all things end, even this world and the pain it holds. One merely has to wait.