It was 1962, Wichita, Kansas. My Dad surveyed the front yard—a very big front yard, a grim look on his face. "Weeds," he pronounced sullenly, as if our front yard had become the equivalent of ... [+]
Winner of the Millennium and Forum awards for playwriting and poetry, Dennis Edelen is the author of the novel “Jehanne: A Story of Joan of Arc” and four other books. "Burning Man, a fable" is on Short Circuit #01, Short Édition's quarterly review.
It came to him suddenly, as he ran down the street screaming and on fire, that he was making a spectacle of himself. After all, this was a modest neighborhood of well-maintained lawns and sensible driveways. Garbage pick-up was twice a week, and everyone recycled. These facts had contributed to his choosing to move into the neighborhood in the first place. In addition, it was located within convenient reach of several highly regarded schools. He had no children, but still, things such as this were important. These thoughts in mind, he slowed his blind careen through the streets to a more sedat