Last but not least, Don’t Look Down is a collection of stories and novellas set in locations from neighborhood skating rinks to Manhattan skyscrapers, and featuring characters from a disgraced priest to a young man who encounters a time-travel mirror. Though they differ widely, the stories have a common theme: the characters must dig deep to deal with challenges that at times seem insurmountable. I hope these thumbnail sketches pique your interest!
CONTENTS
Adventures in Travel. Driving is exhilarating, but can be perilous. Nor are pedestrians immune from danger. Nice kitty, kitty…three lives down, six to go.
Carnival. What could possibly top a boy’s first nighttime venture into the streets with friends, winding up at the annual neighborhood carnival? (“But be back by nine!”)
Games People Played. Is the old saying correct? Did your first schoolyard really teach you everything you need to know for life?
Gentle Giant. Seven feet-six in high school, Wendell goes his own way, choosing banjo over basketball. Not even close to fitting in, yet he continues involved in the game.
The Gift. At Christmastime, St. Michael’s receives an extraordinary gift – a newborn wrapped in a blanket, left in a confessional. A mother and daughter’s reaction changes their lives.
Good Dog. A dog with an unusual history pulls his family’s toddler from a backyard pool, saving his life. Good dog, for sure, but how much longer will he stay around?
Got a Light? New York City’s indoor smoking ban forces a top executive to mingle with people outside his social circle. Strange and wonderful things happen – mostly strange.
The Hanna Braun Affair. A retired teacher moves to the Boston area, drawn by her obsession with the poet Amy Lowell, buried in Cambridge’s Mount Auburn Cemetery. When she herself dies, a surprising secret is discovered.
Homecoming. In the year 1991, a Russian cosmonaut helplessly circles the earth while the USSR disintegrates. What will he find when he returns? If he returns? [A Poem]
The Mirror. Strolling to a film with his girlfriend, a young man notices a handsome old mirror in a second-hand store. In it he sees his future, and for him nothing will ever be the same.
Père Joseph. The beloved pastor of a Canadian-American parish runs afoul of his rigid hierarchy but is given a chance to redeem himself. [A Novella]
Sewerball Memories. A sandlot baseball game turns into a trial by ordeal, testing a boy’s courage and persistence.
Sure-Fire Study Method. A simple, foolproof trick for acing an exam every time.
Le Take-Out. After an overnight flight, a father wakens early in his hotel in an unfamiliar city (Paris). Where can he turn for café and a petit déjeuner for the family?
The Vacation. A couple’s anniversary get-away at a fine resort sours when the wife’s recently-widowed sister, invited at the last minute, acts badly, disrupting the festive scene.
Whistle, Stop. A retired train engineer, fixture in a seaside area, greets passing trains each day and initiates neighborhood boys into the mysteries of railroading. Then the clouds roll in.
Zamboni Man. A boy with Down Syndrome helps out at a neighborhood skating rink, but his friendship with the manager presents challenges for both. [A Novella]
Don’t Look Down – Collected Short Fiction © 2022 Jan David Blais, All Rights Reserved.
Page Count: 181 double-spaced ms pages / est. 58,600 words. Completed, not yet published.
Cover Image – photo of Brian Murphy wire sculpture.
