"Graffiti" by Ben Brown



Lost in Translation (Random House, 2010)

"Graffiti" is a stand out short story in the anthology Lost in Translation: New Zealand Short Stories edited by Marco Sonzogni. I received the book a long time ago but as with all short story books I like to dip into it now and again.
   I was completely blown away by the power and honesty of "Graffiti" by Ben Brown. The author has crafted a tight tale about Tag Dog, a young graffiti artist who roams the city at night doing his bit for creative vandalism. It's easy to empathise with him. Brown has captured the young boy's voice perfectly. 
   This I think, is the secret to the story's impact. The plot is tragic, and the fact that there are so few characters means that there are no distractions. You get sucked into Tag Dog's world immediately and you grieve for him at the end.
   I'll let you know if I find some more outstanding stories in this collection as I go through it. So far the book has been good.

Well done Mandy!

I have just finished reading the great news that Mandy Hager's trilogy The Blood of the Lamb will be published in the USA by Pyr books. Pyr is a Sci/fic and fantasy imprint from Prometheus Books. This is such a fabulous achievement for Mandy as the US market is large and sales will surely come her way. Her books The Crossing, Into the Wilderness and Resurrection were by far the best "Island Stories" I have read over the last two years. They deserve to do well. Congratulations Mandy!

Memories

I spent yesterday cleaning up my office, a never ending task! And here was a photo I found of myself and some PNG warriors, taken at the first Melanesian Arts and Cultural festival hosted in the Solomon Islands in 1998. I just love those feathers, but imagine how many delightful and exotic birds died for such amazing costumes...

Melanesian Arts and Cultural Festival, S.I. Source: Beth Montgomery