Wednesday, August 31, 2011

"Bridging"

Max Apple

Daddy is a baseball fan. So is his young daughter. But Daddy is also an assistant girl scout leader and his young daughter doesn’t want to be in the girl scouts. The girl scouts act the way he wishes his daughter would act. But while Daddy is at girl scout meetings, his daughter stays home and watches the Houston Astros play professional baseball. She also talks statistics like a baseball fan.

Daddy lost his wife several years ago and he is now bringing up his daughter, Jessica. There is an unbridgeable gulf between them. He wants to be a part-time girl scout leader and she wants to be a professional sports fan.

She wants to go everywhere with her daddy, but that can’t happen because he wants to be a part-time girl scout leader, and she doesn’t want to be in the girl scouts.

The story of two lives existing separately.

Rating: *** out of *****.

Comment: The unusual relationship between father and daughter. RayS.

About the Author: “Born in 1941, Max Apple earned his Ph.D. at the university of Michigan in 19970. He has taught at several universities; presently he is teaching English and creative writing at Rice University. His stories and essays have appeared I several national magazines. His collections of short stories and his novel have been highly praised. Phillip Lopate writers, ‘At his best, Max Apple is the finest writer of short fiction in America.’ ”

Short Story International #54. Ed. Sylvia Tankel. February 1986. Pp.146-156. 

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