In October I discovered that my flash story “Incident at Shady Acres” was first runner up in the Julia Peterkin Literary Awards sponsored by South 85 Journal. Now the issue has been published with the winning story and the runners up.
I hope you like this ecofiction story. Pretty pleased with this one. https://www.south85journal.com/winter-2023/incident-at-shady-acres-by-luanne-castle/
Here’s an adobe preview image of a haboob.
Congratulations on the fine story packed with poetic detail
Thank you, Derrick! So happy you like it!
What a portrait you paint in this piece, Luanne. First I’ve ever heard of a haboob.
Thank you so much, VJ! Did you go look it up haha? My first one was in 2011, and it was such a doozy.
Congratulations, Luann. It sure reminds me of living through a derecho here in Iowa, and we were only on the edge of it. I’d never heard of a derecho, but they also mentioned the haboob.
Now I had to look up derecho!!! That sounds awful, too. The worst part of a haboob unless you have to be outside like these characters or are driving is how awful it is afterward with the dirt everywhere. Thank you!
Pure excellence, Luanne. I could feel it. Congratulations!
What a sweet compliment! Thanks, Sheila! Very much!
Congratulations! What an amazing story. I could have cried for the boy when I realized that instead of rain, he would have more dust and dirt to deal with.
A wonderful story, Luanne. I can’t imagine living like that.
Congratulations, Luanne! It’s a very powerful story. It had a Faulknerian feel to it. I just love that such good fiction is being written and published these days. More, please!
What an incredible story, Luanne. Congratulations to you! xo
Good story, Luanne. Those dust storms must have been terrible for the farmers. Your writing got me right into the dusty story from the first few words.
Thank you, Anneli! The “farmers” (or larger political and financial forces above them) cause these dust storms. By leaving the land vacant. Until we started getting farming en masse and then stopping farming all those fields, Arizona didn’t really have haboobs! What a mess. We are all cogs, and I suspect a lot of those farmers are actually big businesses.
Yes, I’ve seen some docs about that. Still it was terrible for the families who had to endure those times and who got sick.
Oh wow, it didn’t occur to me until I read this that you read this story as being about the Dust Bowl! Am I right? That’s how Robbie Cheadle read it, too. But in fact this is a much more contemporary problem. The cotton fields in Arizona were left unplanted and with no natural vegetation and no crops to hold down the soil, it creates haboobs. I am pretty sure that this is similar to what Oklahoma etc went through during the Dust Bowl. But different region of the U.S. These new ones in AZ are considered the same as the ones in Sudan. I never considered the story would be read this way, but i am loving the historical connection!
It was the first thing I thought of – all those dust storms making people sick.
Dust is a nasty nasty thing. So is wind.
Fantastic, atmospheric tale, Luanne. I’ve never experience one in person, but have certainly witnessed the trailer life you depict. Congratulations on placing with this story!
Wow! Very effective. Thanks for sharing the ecofiction.
Congratulations!! It’s wonderful. Very deserved!!
Wow, this is so vivid. I’ve never heard of a haboob, but it sure sounds awful. How often do such things occur? Great story!
Congratulations on your story. The details, and moment to moment account really bring the story to life. Great work, here!!!
Congrats, Luanne 🙂
Wow, what a terrifying story!
I really enjoyed your fiction, Luanne. Your description is terrific and so is the tension in the story. Wishing you lots of joy and inspiration in the new year.
Patti, thank you so much for reading it. I am thrilled that you like it!! Happy New Year!!!!