“To write is to risk being misread or misunderstood. Words that survive their author are cut loose. They drift, take new shape, sprout new meanings. And there is always their ordinary ambiguity.”

I have taken a little bit of heat for my short stories that I do not feel is justified. After giving the criticism some consideration, I’ve concluded my stories are not for everyone, and misunderstanding can’t be avoided. Some people can only hear what they already believe.