Dakota Crane Denver
Short Stories · Essays
— Chapter One —
The Books
Four pieces so far. Three live on Amazon now; the anthology lands soon.
— Chapter Two —
The Writing
Stories, flash, and poetry. New pieces appear here as they're finished.
Firecracker
"Devin McCorty sat at the kitchen table, face in a spoonful of mini wheats. Voices on the radio cracked and crickled. Below freezing, some man said in his best boardroom presentation voice."
Faded Flowers, Wilted Weeds
"Want to know what's tougher than being an orphan? Being an orphan whose foster parents hate her guts too."
The Grand Projection
"244 miles south of San Francisco, 263 miles north of Los Angeles, there lies a soil path littered with gravel stones wedged in the mud. On one end, it opens into the Pacific Ocean."
Though Poppies Grow
"Every time the dang owl cawed, I got one step closer to pulling my pistol out on it. Can you eat owl meat? Suppose you can eat anything if you put your mind to it."
Jellybean
"When death is near, take a good look around. You'll see your ancestors. Derek Walston, age 11, begins to choke on a piece of bubblegum while home alone."
Pointing Skyward
"I want to know where all the protagonists go, after the curtains close, after the last page is turned, after the story ends."
The Book
"The book waited on Shelf 7, Row 13, Floor 3. Anxiously. It had been eleven years, thirteen days, and two hours since he'd last been touched."
Platinum
"I used to look at the bar singer, with pity. With anguish. One song away from stadiums, the way he held the crowd."
— Chapter Three —
The Thoughts
Notes on craft and the writing life. New essays as they're finished.
— Chapter Four —
About the writer
Dakota Crane Denver is a writer of literary short fiction. He lives in Los Angeles.
His first collection, Faded Flowers, Wilted Weeds, follows the McCorty and Lavetti families across roughly a century. A second book, Pointing Skyward, is a companion of poems and short prose.
— Early Notices —
What they’re saying
Reviews of the work as they arrive.
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“It's eye-opening, deeply human, and one of those books that lingers after you've finished it.”
— Megan, Goodreads
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“This is not a feel good book, but it is a book that makes you feel.”
— Charlene, Amazon & Goodreads
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“Filled with emotion and definitely worth reading.”
— Donna, Goodreads
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