Small Talk

by Charlie Close

Ethan is a 22-year-old misanthrope who lives alone in his apartment with a drum set he can’t play.

He doesn’t like the job that Marianne at the temp agency got him working in room with chatty middle-aged ladies.

He loathes the music most people like. He knows someday he’s going to play his drums in a heavy, heavy band.

He barely talks to anyone. For Ethan, how’s-the-weather small talk by the elevator is unbearable.

Then he meets the woman down the hall, the one with the calliope voice. And for some reason she wants to talk to him. It's damn distracting.

Small Talk is a wry romance about the dark musician in all of us, and how the right voice at the right time can make all the difference.

113 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2017

About the author

I believe that ordinary people and situations are interesting and important. That’s where most of us live every day.

I believe that we all have all been on the cusp of change, up against the moment when we have to choose between what we want do to (run, hide, fight) and what we need to do (step up, do the right thing, see the bigger picture, connect with others). Do we grow, or fall back? That’s the story.

I believe that all of us are more that same than different, even the villains in our lives (we know who they are, don’t we?). It’s true, even when we can’t see it. Teachers and students, bosses and employees, next door neighbors, friends, husbands, and wives – we all struggle to understand each other.

I tell stories about people and situations like these. I strive to make my writing simple and clear but also rich enough to invite interpretation and re-reading. The more you look, the more you’ll see.

If these are the kinds of stories you like to read, then my stories might be for you. Give them a try.

Happy reading.

Charlie