Bully: A Collection of Stories

by Ashley Parker Owens (Editor), Steve Karas, Steven Brett Shaklan

Everyone has been the victim of a bully at some point. Many say it’s an unavoidable part of growing up. The way we respond to bullying — whether by fighting or fleeing, making peace or silently suffering disgrace— tends to color our self-concept long after the danger has passed. Some emerge from the threat of violence with a renewed sense of self; others painfully endure the memory whenever it forces its way back into consciousness.

This anthology observes the experience of victimization. Collected here are the bullies from elementary school that still haunt our dreams at night, the tyrants who inhabit our everyday work environments, and the aggressive neighbors who inhabit our streets. Others offer characters who tackle cultural oppression by drawing a firm line between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ And a few narratives sadden us with a reminder of how easy it is to slip between tormented and tormentor.

Authors include Douglas Cole, Charles Hayes, Steve Karas, Margaret Karmazin, Jason Half-Pillow, Stephen McQuiggan, Carl Palmer, Victoria Rego, Amy Ballard Rich, Ruben Rodriguez, Steven Shakklan, Alexander Weinstein, and Matthew Wilson.

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2015

About the author

Ashley Parker Owens is an Appalachian writer, poet, and artist living in Richmond, Kentucky. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Eastern Kentucky University and an MFA in Visual Arts from Rutgers University. https://ashleyparkerowens.wordpress.com