fwriction

Today’s story of the day is an audio one, from the Guardian Books short story podcast. “Fat” is one of my favorite Carver stories—it’s the first in the collection, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?, and sets the tone for the entire book. Here, Anne Enright does a wonderful reading of the piece. Enjoy it over the weekend, and stop by the fwriction : review to read and submit!

from “Fat”:

It is late of a slow Wednesday when Herb seats the fat man at my station.

This fat man is the fattest person I have ever seen, though he is neat-appearing and well dressed enough. Everything about him is big. But it is the fingers I remember best. When I stop at the table near his to see to the old couple, I first notice the fingers. They look three times the size of a normal person’s fingers—long, thick, creamy fingers.