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Stories to read on the go

With the shortening attention span that comes with social media and accessible information, it’s curious to see the short story among the casualties of art.

Tighter prose, a clearer and focus and the reduced time requirement would seem to make short stories the preferred mode of literature. But regardless of where it stands, the just under two dozen contributors of Prose to Go make a reasonable strong case for the short story.

Prose to Go includes five sections of creative nonfiction from journalists, humourists and other writers. The five sections cover the writers’ odd but everyday experiences that have somehow stayed with them and impacted who they are.

Most stories are only about three pages of large print but the writing is conversational and direct. As journalists, many of the writers are used to working within a set word limit, and are effective with such a short space.

In fact, many of the stories are previously published in other publications ranging from the Ottawa Citizen, Today’s Seniors and the London Free Press. Even so, none are too closely related to a time and place as to be unrelatable.

On the reverse, as nonfiction, the stories are also far less demanding than something more literary. Most readers will have stories quite like those told in the compilation. The story of a young man trying to impress his new boss but having gas all over him at the pumps or the culture shock of a road trip through the southern United States are easily identified.

Even when at its heaviest, all the stories are still identifiable. It’s never hard for a reader to imagine themselves in the writer’s position and acting similarly. The tone is always approachable and the way such brisk stories are told almost in response to one another feels almost like the reader is witness to all the writers sharing stories over drinks. Prose to Go is at its best when it matches this pace, and becomes most difficult to put down.

It isn’t very deep, but it isn’t heavy-handed either. As the name implies, Prose to Go is perfect for a short train ride or flight. It’s light hearted and it’s enjoyable. It isn’t likely to change anyone’s life but it doesn’t need to. It’s a solid set of good stories to pass the time.

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