Dan Coxon

Just a quick note this time. My short story ' Mapreading ' is online now, in the latest issue of Spartan . The story is about paint, sperm, Brad Paisley, maps, and learning to be a father. It is also pretty short. Much like this blog post. The end. 'Mapreading' can be read here , on the Spartan website. Spartan is a literary journal based in Seattle, Washington, with the motto "Minimalist Prose. No Strays." It is also full of awesome - in a minimalist sort of way.

Occasionally I like to post notes on my short stories on this blog. Think of them as footnotes to the published work, a bonus 'Making Of' featurette. I find it helps clear my mind of the clutter that has built up around the original idea. You might even find them interesting. 'Man Overboard' started as nothing grander than a call for stories from Gutter , the Scottish journal of new writing. A friend had recently been published by them, and I liked the look and the ethos of the magazine. A visit to their website told me that they wanted stories about what it meant to be Scottish, and especially the experience of Scots living overseas. My interest was immediately piqued. I could write that. The story first came to me while staring out across the waters from our house in Gig Harbor, Washington. We were living there at the time, three years into an overseas assignment that had brought my wife and I to America. It made sense to write about the scenery I saw in front o