“Laid to Rest” by Ray Morrison appeared in Issue 38 and can be found here.
We’d love to hear more about this story.
I’ve always found the idea of people misjudging other people, or making false assumptions about them, a source of interesting conflict in fiction. In this story, both main characters make that mistake, and it almost leads to deadly conflict, but instead leads to two proud men gaining insight into someone they’ve lived next to for many years but didn’t really know. I guess in the end, it’s a classic cautionary tale.
What was the most difficult part of in writing this piece?
Trying to portray a child with severe physical, emotional, and intellectual disabilities in a way that did not come across as insensitive or trite. While I have been fortunate to have healthy children, I am aware that some who may read this story may be dealing with the struggle of raising such a child, and I did not want the scene to be a source of discomfort for anyone.
Recommend a book for us which was published within the last decade.
As a short story writer, I feel I must recommend a great story collection that needs to read by more people. It’s a collection of linked stories by Dennis McFadden called Jimtown Road. Terrific stories by a terrific writer.
If you could have a drink with any living author, who would it be? Why?
I guess I’d love to sit and chat over a drink with David Sedaris. Adding humor to my stories is something I struggle with, and my hope would be that to sit next to David perhaps his gift for humor writing might rub off on me.
What are you working on now? What’s next?
I am finishing up polishing and organizing stories for my third collection of short fiction. In September I am retiring from my 36 year career as a veterinarian and my plan is to use my newfound time to write my first novel (although I suspect short stories will seep out from time to time as well).
Our thanks to Ray for taking the time to answer a few questions and share this story. Read “Laid to Rest” here: https://www.sequestrum.org/fiction-laid-to-rest.
___________________________________
Ray Morrison’s second collection of short stories, I Hear the Human Noise, was released in 2019, and won the Gold Medal IPPY award for best regional fiction. Ray’s short stories have appeared in Beloit Fiction Journal, Ecotone, Story South, Fiction Southeast, Broad River Review, Carve, and others.