Ordinary Nudes by Stuart Dybek, 2012
The magic trick:
Making a poetic point very simply
Dybek is a master of the flash fiction form. This one is but a single paragraph. The narrator has a single point to make, but it’s a powerful one. Photos age just like the subjects in the photos.
And that’s quite a trick on Dybek’s part.
The selection:
Imagine his wonder when in the years to come he’ll realize that she was not to be confused with ordinary nudes – not some nymph frolicking along the shore, or goddess ascending from sea foam, or ballerina poised to wade into her morning bath.
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