It has been said by people in the book publishing industry that the short story is a dying art form. Christopher Bartlett does not choose to believe this doom saying narrative, and he thinks you don’t believe it either. The texts you are about to read are part of his response, thirteen stories that showcase his craft and love for the art form.
A Fragmentary Mosaic gathers together stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary moments. The faces of these people stare out of the bits of their stories that you get to see. Here a young nurse gazes thoughtfully at you, fingering the pill bottle that offers her the choice of an exit. Over here, a young boy stares in anguish, contemplating the terrible choice he must make. In this direction, a fairy tale princess surrounded by the green leaves of the trees she loves smiles at you. And of course there is the very good dog over there, quietly binding together the lives of his damaged but beloved humans.
You will see these beings in moments of crisis and decision, in moments of quiet realization. Some of them triumph. Others fall terribly short. In brief, they are just people trying to cope with the world around them. (And a very good dog doing it very well of course.)
Christopher has written these stories while participating in and teaching classes in the Signum Programs for Adult Continuing Education (SPACE) program, specializing in creative writing. He and his fellow preceptors have nurtured one another’s works, and those of the students who work with them, from idea seeds to full-fledged works that make up part of what he calls the “story web.” All of the stories in this book have received the loving, intentional and sometimes robustly critical feedback of this marvelous group of writers, and are definitely improved by their attention. He now wants to share the results with you in the hope that you are entertained, made to think, and even deeply moved by works which come from his heart and life experience.
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