Carmen Ruggero answers...

Challenge 189

I very much enjoyed Gloria Watts’ article “The Art of Flash Fiction.” I think it expands on my article “Short Fiction vs. Novel” by emphasizing the importance of brevity and economy of words. Flash fiction is a great way of learning to write tightly. Presenting plot conflict and resolution in 500 words takes a lot of work and ingenuity. It is also a good way of learning how to edit our own work. I really enjoyed reading Gloria’s article. It was well presented and very accurate.

I interpret the smoking man in Doug Hiser’s “Shrike” to be what the title represents. In his mind, he who spends a week lusting and sinning then goes down on his knees asking forgiveness but continues to sin, is like a smaller animal: prey for the buzzards. The smoking man sins and lusts but to him, hypocrisy is a bigger sin. The tattoo on his arm seems to represent women as evil thus justifying his lustful trespasses.

Mr. Landis, in Martin Green’s “Temper,” deserves a visit from the smoking man. Shrikes are some times beneficial.

Carmen Ruggero

Thank you, Carmen! I’m especially intrigued by your interpretation of “Shrike.”

The “smoking man,” as I call him, doesn’t fit any conventional categories. He’s certainly not anyone’s garden-variety angel or demon; rather he has aspects of both:

His impromptu “sermon” to the three boys has a divine quality to it: he has passed judgment on Sammy Livingston for what he terms an ultimate transgression, namely by making a mockery of repentance. In a sense, Sammy has burned all his bridges behind him; if he really repented, how could anyone believe him?

On the other hand, the “smoking man” has all the appearances of a folk devil, as Challenge 189 points out.

And the tattoo of the naked woman in what appears to be the Devil’s own guise is disquieting. Does it represent women as evil? If so, I’d have to say the “smoking man” is unexpectedly and disappointingly narrow-minded. With as much justification, he could have an equivalent tattoo of a male figure, perhaps on the other arm. Or, as you say, perhaps the tattoo represents the “smoking man’s” own indulgences; he does allude to some.

Or maybe the “smoking man” is not the only one of his kind. Perhaps the tattoo could have “Mom” on it. But that seems a bit beyond the pale. I guess the symbolism escapes me.

Don