The Big Man In The Cargo Shorts
Winner of the 2020 Alberta Literary Awards Howard O’Hagan Award for Short Story
Read the full short story here.
Jury Comments:
Ali Bryan captures the rhythms of children’s thought and speech, the memorable details of school life, and the class dynamics that exist even among elementary-aged students. It’s a challenge for any writer to depict the voices and private interactions of children without coming off as twee or sentimental. This story does so expertly, using a strange encounter to tenderly explore depict the idiosyncratic reactions and observations of a group of kids. As they discuss the Big Man who’s passed out on their playground, their interactions reveal the class system they live in, their limited expectations, and their kindness. The ending is perfect.
Other Writing
- Never Stop Being Friends (Southland Alibi) SHORT FICTION
- Super Nova (Grain) SHORT FICTION
- Bank (The Queen’s Quarterly) SHORT FICTION
- March Past (The Lindenwood Review) FLASH CNF
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- Something Like Roots (The Antigonish Review) PERSONAL ESSAY
- C’est La Vie (Identity Theory) PERSONAL ESSAY
- Deadfall (On The Run) FLASH FICTION
- To The Stars (You Might Need To Hear This) PERSONAL ESSAY
- The Dinner (Cloud Lake Literary) SHORT FICTION
- Meditations on Trash in a Time of Dumpster Fires (Invisible City) CNF
- Patron of Bones (Passengers Journal) PERSONAL ESSAY
- Meditations on Water (The Phare Literary Magazine) CNF
- Blinding (The Good Life Review) FLASH CNF
- Milk & Cookies (Reservoir Road Literary Review) SHORT FICTION
- Panzer (HASH Journal) FLASH FICTION
- Good Game (Understory Magazine) SHORT FICTION
