The Way of the Blue-Winged Wangdoodle

A short story by David Huddle

Reviewed by Lawrence Reeve

Evey is a twelve-year-old grappling with a fundamental, and disturbing truth; the people we look up to, because we look up to them, closet their character flaws. The flaw always seems to be a precise counter-point to a carefully projected image, making it all the more shocking. Her grandfather's flaw is a minor one to be sure, this is the South, after all, but it rattles the family enough that she takes it upon herself to push herself toward adulthood and confront him.

She discovers in a moment of hesitation that she not only doesn't want to acknowledge his flaw, she doesn't want him to know she knows, as if any flaw will destroy the relationship. It reminds us, to paraphrase Pythagoras, to write the flaws of our friends in sand.

There is a natural tension here that draws the reader in, and enough of her father's 'fresh phases' to keep you grinning. At 6700 words it is a nice visit to the South.

ePublisher: Blackbird - Fall 2008, Vol 7, No 2. Blackbird is an online journal of literature and the arts published as a joint venture of the Department of English at Virginia Commonwealth University and New Virginia Review, Inc.
Format: This eZine is visually pleasing, and laid out well for online (browser) reading. There are no advertisements.