Little Fortified Stories

Barbara Black’s second collection of flash fiction, LITTLE FORTIFIED STORIES, is a delightful, fanciful collection of dozens of pieces. Some are grouped under sections of liquor, such as “Gin” or “Bourbon” or “Tequila.” Others fit under “Ancestral Fabrications” or “Visual Provocations.” Each one takes less than five minutes to read, but pack a punch that stays far beyond closing the book. Sensory details are chosen with gossamer delicacy. Visual details taps deeply into emotions, and visual collages provoke the reader as they transition from section to section. Characters are defined in as little as a breath. The writing is extraordinary, specific, and multi-faceted. Some stories are laugh out-loud funny; others have the quality of more painful laughter; still others are more poignant. Each piece, no matter how short, is gratifying, diverting, and ultimately satisfying. The reader may choose to dip in and out of the book, rather than reading it straight through, in order to savor each individual story experientially. No matter how it’s read, LITTLE FORTIFIED STORIES stays with the reader far past the actual reading.