Short Flights ─ Thirty-Two Modern Writers Share Aphorisms of Insight, Inspiration, and Wit

A compilation of satirical and philosophical aphorisms from modern writers on the cutting edge of their craft

A unique anthology that draws together the work and musings of our leading pioneers of short-form writing, this book features writers who take this time-honored literary form to new heights. Concise, wise, and sometimes terse or humorous, aphorisms are short phrases that are often instructional or moralistic. With a brief introductory piece from each author and a generous sampling of each individual’s particular take on the aphorism, the reader is presented with a vast trove of wit, wisdom, insight, and inspiration, as well as new ways to look at language, words, and writing. From “Nothing dirtier than old soap” to “He doesn’t need imagination—he’s got money,” the writers expound upon their favorite adages. The contributors range from prize-winning poets Charles Simic and Stephen Dobyns to bestselling authors like James Geary, David Shields, and experimental writers such as Olivia Dresher and Yahia Lababidi.Short Flights is sure to intrigue and delight all lovers of literature, language, and wordplay.

James Lough is a professor and graduate coordinator at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He is the author ofThis Ain’t No Holiday Inn: Down and Out at the Chelsea Hotel, 1980–1995. He has published more than 70 articles, short stories, and book reviews, and has served as an editor with several literary journals, includingBastard Review, Denver Quarterly, and Divide. His collection of essays,Sites of Insight won the Publications Prize from the Colorado Endowment of the Humanities, and his stories have won the 2011 America’s Got Stories Award and the Frank Waters Southwestern Writing Award for short fiction. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.Alex Stein teaches at the University of Colorado–Boulder. He is the author of two books of interviews,The Artist as Mystic: Conversations with Yahia Lababidi and Made-Up Interview with Imaginary Artists, and a book of aphorisms,Weird Emptiness. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.