Available in the Following Formats
- E-book ASIN: B0B4HJ4RQ4
- Paperback ISBN: 979-8-8358-9518-2
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Mementos - A Unique Collection of Short Stories & Flash Fiction - Book 5
People ask: "Why do you use photographic prompts when you write short stories and flash fiction?" Larry Sultan, an American photographer
from the San Fernando Valley in California, provides one answer: "Photography is there to construct the idea of us as a great family and
we go on vacations and take these pictures and then we look at them later and we say, 'Isn't this a great family?' So photography is
instrumental in creating family not only as a memento, a souvenir, but also a kind of mythology." Beyond the physical, however, lie our
memories and in them, the pictures stored in our minds' eyes. As writers, aren't these memories - both the physical and the "mementos of
the mind" - the essence of our works, the prompts we use to spin words and phrases into literary tapestries our readers can use to discover
something about life, a bit about us, perhaps, and, in the process, maybe even a little about themselves?
In this volume, you'll find a story about a long funeral procession, comprising some 100 cars and motorcycles, the latter mostly big Harley-Davidson touring models. Who could their drivers possibly have been honoring? And what was the captain of the ocean-going freighter Duchess of Montrose, which was tied up in Porto Grande Bay, Cape Verde Islands, thinking as he watched a storm approaching that already had dropped his barometer to levels seen only in the strongest of hurricanes? In short (pun intended), there is something in this book for almost every genre and taste.
Featured Review
"I love this anonymous opening quote: 'Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.' How true. Life is like that: full of auspicious moments that flitter past almost undetected until, somewhere along the way, one of these 'auspicious moments' becomes ingrained in our memories as something grand, even epic in proportions. As Theodore Jerome Cohen writes in his opening comments to his recent book, Mementos: A Unique Collection of Short Stories & Flash Fiction (Book 5), 'As writers, aren't these memories – both the physical and the 'mementos of the mind' – the essence of our works, the prompts we use to spin the words and phrases into literary tapestries our readers can use to discover something about life, a bit about us, and, in a process, perhaps, a little about themselves?' Like his other [Mementos] anthologies, this book contains a vast array of genres, from memoir and history, to fantasy and science fiction, to murder mystery and so much more.
"Theodore Jerome Cohen has a clever mind, one that projects a story from even the simplest prompts: like the brief conversation between two women at a skating rink, the older woman explaining how she always came during the Christmas season with her friends to skate and see the big tree all decorated. Only now, the visit is a memory of happier times. 'I'm here to keep their memories alive and remind myself of those simpler times when we didn't have a care in the world, our futures looked bright, and nothing seemed more important than the bonds of friendship that held us together.' Simpler times and good friends; isn't that really what life is all about? I think this little flash story, Tree, is my favorite from this collection. From the words of an articulate storyteller, sit back and enjoy a serene collection of mementos and choose your own personal favorite from the variety."
Praise for Theodore Jerome Cohen's Writing Style
"A signature style that weaves fact with fiction." ~ Mark Mitchell, former editorial page writer for the Wall Street Journal"Prolific!" ~ Gary Sorkin for Pacific Book Review
"A unique, creative imagination." ~ Richard Blake for Readers Views
"Evokes a deep connection with the characters." ~ Faridah Nassozi for Readers' Favorite
"Smart, mature characters." ~ Krista Schnee for Hollywood Book Review
* Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Star