Christine Simokaitis’s Comments

These stories were written a couple of years ago, shortly after my marriage, home, and career all disassembled at the same time. While my life was unraveling, I needed to find a way to keep myself together for the sake of the people around me. I fantasized about having the freedom to fall apart and about what it would take to feel whole again. Writing these stories created a kind of space for both to happen. They are part of a manuscript of linked flash pieces titled Through the Valley of Now, which chronicles one woman’s attempt to navigate a psychic landscape of grief and despair in the midst of chaos. Along the way, she stumbles upon slivers of grace that illuminate a path toward the other side.

Return to Archive