Bewildering Stories welcomes...

Brenda Kern

Brenda lives in Colorado Springs. She has published articles and stories in various journals.

“Still, in the Woods” is a lyrical essay that has elements one usually finds in short stories. But it isn’t a short story: the two characters — children — aren’t named; we don’t know their ages or, really, very much about them.

Rather, the author tackles a very difficult task: trying to replicate, perhaps 25 years later, feelings and perceptions that a child had at an early age. It can’t be done, of course: adults’ memories of childhood are overlaid with years of experience. The child and the adult are two different people.

Thus, the views of graveyards and of sometimes violent death take on added meaning as one ages. But, the essay asks, in the end, who will remember?

Brenda Kern’s bio sketch can be found here.

Welcome to Bewildering Stories, Brenda. We hope to hear from you again soon and often!