I like the sheer sense of got-me-on-a-bad-day invective in them.
Photo Credit: Sarah Cartwright via Flickr
Dear editors,
I’m sending you these for the rejections series. They are from one Shelagh Nugent, who was the editor of a mag called Peninsular.
The first reads:
These stories are well written + “literary” – but I don’t think you’ve grasped the concept of short story style – they don’t move fast enough to grab the attention.Have you read a copy of Peninsular?
I obviously wrote back and said something like ‘I can’t afford to buy a copy of every literary small press mag as I am on a low income’ or something. I got the response:
Dear Nick –I’d love to spend time commenting on these stories but, unlike you, I choose NOT to be on a low income, therefore time is money + all that…Good luck elsewhere.RegardsShelagh
I can’t remember when this was as they are undated – late 90s, probably, when I was indeed partly voluntarily and partly involuntarily on a low income, trying to pursue a slacker lifestyle while still paying rent, and still considering just giving it all up and getting a proper job, etc. I also can’t remember the stories, but I’m sure they weren’t great. I like the sheer sense of got-me-on-a-bad-day invective in them. I treasure them – I really do…
Regards,
Nick