The Sword and The Trowel

A short story originally sold to Southern Truths, by B-Cubed.

Valtman, Edmund S., 1914-, artist

Author’s note: for good reason, we authors always say at the start of any story that this is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. I must doubly emphasize that truthful disclaimer here: though the “seed” for this story grew out of a real conversation with a real person, and therefore operates as a logical jumping off place from some basic similar details about their life and experience, it by no means and in no way should be read as representative of their person, personal history, future, psychology, or anything else. I simply took the “what if” from that private conversation and logically traced out that “what if” by means of stock facts into a fictional narrative. That I sold this narrative to a fictional anthology and not a news outlet should affirm, all the more, that nay resemblance is purely coincidental. Folks who doubt this and believe in the myth of “autobiographical fiction” neither understand what fiction is nor how fiction works. Frankly, if even two of you happened to know the source, you would know immediately that the fictional version resembles him not a whit — neither in lingo nor in interests nor in locale, etc. That also, in fact, he may disagree entirely with its conclusion. Regardless, it’s fiction. Don’t try to read anyone or any specific organization into it other than what it says and if you STILL feel tempted to do so, I recommend listening first to this Carly Simon song.

This story will only be available to paid subscribers, but if you prefer, you can always buy the print copy in Southern Truths by B-Cubed press.