A thoughtful and often intense story with visual accompaniments, about poetry, desire, and how we learn how much we still have yet to learn.
Matt, a college student, looks forward to a summer on his own- away from his parents and school, and with time to write poetry. When he takes a job at a rural feed store, he meets the unconventional Mary Jo, whose confidence and independence both enchant him and make him aware of his own limits. An unexpected invitation to Mary Jo and her partner’s farm turns into an unsettling confrontation. Only when we realize the extent of our own ignorance, the story suggests, might we come to know ourselves.
Written and read by National Book Award finalist Jean Thompson, Circe is a sharply observed and unsettling story about growing up and becoming part of a wider world.
Written and read by Jean Thompson
https://jeanthompsononline.com
Video by Maria Ludeke
Original Hearts Afire artwork by Maria Ludeke
From the short story collection Hearts Afire
contact-us@jeanthompsononline.com
short story, literary fiction, Jean Thompson, narrated short story, visual storytelling, poetry story, coming of age, identity, self discovery, farm story, Midwestern fiction, college student, goats, lesbian characters, friendship story, summer story, poetry and identity
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