The Formal Voice:

Stories

From “Ligature”:

Carlos was dying, but what, now, of that, since he had cut her off, his body, still walking about, the shaft of the lily iron; and, especially on cold days when the winter sun shone brilliantly, she would imagine the detached, barbed head of the iron set on a damask cloth, amongst silver, stemmed crystal, gold-rimmed plates, and the scatterings of salt around each miniature swan. Light would come through the voile curtains and the dark, polished floors would shine. He would take off the pea jacket and seat himself at the head of the table in the wing-back chair; he would smell of fish.

Eve Shelnutt is the author of three previous volumes of poetry published by Carnegie Mellon University Press, including her latest collection of short stories: The Girl, Painted. Her numerous essays and several books on writing, as well as her editing of essays by other writers, underscore her deep understanding of several literary forms. Her distinguished teaching career over more than thirty years culminated at The College of the Holy Cross. She now resides in Georgia.