Style Weekly
Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
Standout Sentences
Her direct reports retorted. -- from "The Telephone" by Deb Westin
His hatred for her murdered any mirth from his laughter. — from "Cheaters Never Win" by Bill Blume
We also had an old she-goat outfitted with a bonnet, a necklace of bells and a banner draped over her tufted mane that read, simply and affectionately, "Emma." — from an untitled story by Brooks Smith
After Lucy died from the adulterated syrup, I haven't seen a single customer. — from "Adultery" by Archie Abaire
Grandpa told me not to listen to Grandma because Angels don't cry in heaven, they're all happy because their prostates work. — from "Angels Don't Cry" by Rose Ann Robbins
Settling upon dismemberment in the bathtub, she set out to drag the corpse down the hall only to discover there was no body. — from "Poison" by James Bryant
She died just after her third cough. — also from "Poison" by James Bryant
The call of a loon drifts across the face of the water — oodle-oodle-who-oodle-who? — from "Loon Lake" by Jim Noonan
Mrs. Engelberg's trying to kill rats with molasses. — from "Albert, the Absent Minded Apothecary" by Sheri Blume
There, beneath the moonlight, beneath the honeysuckle transplanted to hide her own awakening to where she came from, screwed into the heart of the land-shackles and chains left to endure the weather of much deeper sorrow. — from "A Web" by Nick Lincoln
The invisible man orders a cheeseburger. — from "Lost in the Lost Hour" by Lewis King
Oh, it's the cripple-mute. — from "Crippled" by Saomi Thi Thach
"Oh, that was just some random guy," she said after another slow slurp from the maroon volcano bowl. — from "Focused" by Gayla Mills Having managed in his first arrest to apprehend an imaginary character, I knew my son would have a promising career in law enforcement. — from "My Son's Latent Tendencies" by James Miller
To make a long, sad story short, suffice it to say that an interest in suffragettes led to wearing trousers, which led to smoking and drinking in public establishments and a demand for the vote. — from "A Cautionary Tale" by Lana Jo Estepp
I watched the phone crash to the floor and break faster than my dreams against the sharp rocks of reality. — from "Anticipation" by Adam Traub
I'm just one boogeyman in a thousand, and now you have me all to yourself. — from "Can You Hear Me Now?" by Ross Bassett
Would somebody please shoot that fucking drummer. — from "Melt in the Music of the Drums!" by Erich Dietrich
There was a strange ineffable shame about having an Adam's apple and smelling cantaloupes at 2 p.m. on a weekday. — from "One Month" by James Miller
Back to the cover story.
His hatred for her murdered any mirth from his laughter. — from "Cheaters Never Win" by Bill Blume
We also had an old she-goat outfitted with a bonnet, a necklace of bells and a banner draped over her tufted mane that read, simply and affectionately, "Emma." — from an untitled story by Brooks Smith
After Lucy died from the adulterated syrup, I haven't seen a single customer. — from "Adultery" by Archie Abaire
Grandpa told me not to listen to Grandma because Angels don't cry in heaven, they're all happy because their prostates work. — from "Angels Don't Cry" by Rose Ann Robbins
Settling upon dismemberment in the bathtub, she set out to drag the corpse down the hall only to discover there was no body. — from "Poison" by James Bryant
She died just after her third cough. — also from "Poison" by James Bryant
The call of a loon drifts across the face of the water — oodle-oodle-who-oodle-who? — from "Loon Lake" by Jim Noonan
Mrs. Engelberg's trying to kill rats with molasses. — from "Albert, the Absent Minded Apothecary" by Sheri Blume
There, beneath the moonlight, beneath the honeysuckle transplanted to hide her own awakening to where she came from, screwed into the heart of the land-shackles and chains left to endure the weather of much deeper sorrow. — from "A Web" by Nick Lincoln
The invisible man orders a cheeseburger. — from "Lost in the Lost Hour" by Lewis King
Oh, it's the cripple-mute. — from "Crippled" by Saomi Thi Thach
"Oh, that was just some random guy," she said after another slow slurp from the maroon volcano bowl. — from "Focused" by Gayla Mills Having managed in his first arrest to apprehend an imaginary character, I knew my son would have a promising career in law enforcement. — from "My Son's Latent Tendencies" by James Miller
To make a long, sad story short, suffice it to say that an interest in suffragettes led to wearing trousers, which led to smoking and drinking in public establishments and a demand for the vote. — from "A Cautionary Tale" by Lana Jo Estepp
I watched the phone crash to the floor and break faster than my dreams against the sharp rocks of reality. — from "Anticipation" by Adam Traub
I'm just one boogeyman in a thousand, and now you have me all to yourself. — from "Can You Hear Me Now?" by Ross Bassett
Would somebody please shoot that fucking drummer. — from "Melt in the Music of the Drums!" by Erich Dietrich
There was a strange ineffable shame about having an Adam's apple and smelling cantaloupes at 2 p.m. on a weekday. — from "One Month" by James Miller
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