The Past and The Future

On My Mind | Excerpt from Anecdotes

Sep 27, 2021

This is an excerpt from my debut story collection, Anecdotes, which is out now with Book*hug Press.

The book is divided into four section and the following stories are from a section called My Dream House which is made up of fable-like flash stories where The Past and The Future are personified entities engaged in an ongoing conflict with one another.

The Sunburn

On a particularly hot day in July, The Past was sunbathing on the wood deck when The Future barked: —That’s not good for you.

The Past didn’t reply because they were in that half-awake, half-asleep state they so often enjoyed.

The Future shook their head at The Past and got into a little motorboat to go fishing for pike. The Future had a bucket of minnows, a net, a rod, a fish bat, and even a little cooler for some beer and a snack. The sky was blue and the water was still. It truly was the most perfect day to fish.

The Future didn’t say when they be back and The Past had not bother to ask.

Neither The Past nor The Future had decided what they were going to make for dinner. The Past had a vague memory of some frozen hamburger defrosting on the kitchen counter but couldn’t remember if had been set out yesterday morning or today. In either case, the hamburger would likely be spoiled.

The sun was setting on the lake and the whole sky turned a beautiful orange and red and grey. When The Past finally woke up, they were burnt. Blisters had formed all over their shoulders, stomach, arms, and legs.

Every movement caused The Past to wince and cry out at the searing pain. It was so bad even tears formed.

Realizing it was getting late, The Past took off their sunglasses and scanned the lake for a sign of The Future.

But there was none.

Not a single boat could be seen along the horizon.

—That’s strange, The Past said, a little puzzled, a little shocked. —I just assumed The Future would always be there.

The Attic

The Past and The Future were cleaning out the attic, which was filled with old boxes of junk they intended to sell at the community yard sale.

The stairs to the attic were small and rickety. It was easy to trip or lose one’s balance. One step had a crack, another step had a nail sticking out, and a third step was missing altogether.

Each time The Future walked up or down the stairs, they walked backwards—even if they were carrying cleaning supplies, even if they were carrying a heavy box or two.

It made for a slow and unsteady trip and was beginning to annoy The Past, who had organized a table tennis tournament for later in the day and wanted to finish and get washed up.

—Why don’t you face forward when you are going up and down these stairs? The Past asked. —It’s dangerous. You could fall and hurt yourself, and on your way down you could hurt me too.

—I walk backwards, said The Future, so I can keep my eyes on you.

—What do you think I’m going to do?

—Chase me up the stairs or grab my ass, said The Future.

—You think I’m the type who would do that? The Past said, utterly offended. —That really hurts my feelings.

The Future sighed and said, —Fine, I’ll turn around. But if you do anything you’re not supposed to, it’ll be disastrous for us both.

—Trust me, said The Past. —I can’t believe you won’t trust me. As soon as The Future turned their back, The Past let out a truly sinister laugh and started chasing The Future up the stairs. As The Past took a swipe at The Future’s ass,

The Future tripped and they both went tumbling down the stairs, landing in a tangled heap of broken bones.

The Future laughed because there was absolutely nothing else they could do. Neither had a cellphone on them and no one knew where they were. —I guess they’ll find us when our bodies rot, said The Future.

—The problem with you, said The Past, —is not just that. you’re right but that you enjoy being right.

“Sunburn” was previously published in 2016 Public Pool.

Kathryn Mockler is the author of five books of poetry. She co-edited the print anthology Watch Your Head: Writers and Artists Respond to the Climate Crisis (2020) and is the publisher of the Watch Your Head website. She runs Send My Love to Anyone, a literary newsletter, and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria where she teaches screenwriting and fiction.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Anecdotes
by Kathryn Mockler
Book*hug Press, 2023

With dreamlike stories and dark humour, Anecdotes is a hybrid collection in four parts examining the pressing realities of sexual violence, abuse, and environmental collapse.

Absurdist flash fictions in “The Boy is Dead” depict characters such as a park that hates hippies, squirrels, and unhappy parents; a woman lamenting a stolen laptop the day the world ends; and birds slamming into glass buildings.

“We’re Not Here to Talk About Aliens” gathers autofictions that follow a young protagonist from childhood to early 20s, through the murky undercurrent of potential violence amidst sexual awakening, from first periods to flashers, sticker books to maxi pad art, acid trips to blackouts, and creepy professors to close calls.

“This Isn’t a Conversation” shares one-liners from overheard conversations, found texts, diary entries, and random thoughts: many are responses to the absurdity and pain of the current political and environmental climate.

In “My Dream House,” the past and the future are personified as various incarnations in relationships to one another (lovers, a parent and child, siblings, friends), all engaged in ongoing conflict.

These varied, immersive works bristle with truth in the face of unprecedented change. They are playful forms for serious times.

Praise for Anecdotes:

“Part coming of age and part end times, Anecdotes is a bold and brilliant mixture of dark humour, understated literary experiments, and a poet’s eye for the truth. Mockler’s writing isn’t afraid to look at the world and see it for what it is. Her stories are so deeply immersive you’ll never want to leave. An absolute must-read if you live on this planet and even if you don’t.” —Carleigh Baker, author of Bad Endings

“‘What happened to you?’ Terrible things do happen. Daily. From the opening story of a dead boy nobody loved, to anxiety-ridden days of overcrowded public buses and murderous job interviews, to birds dropping from the sky, to no one needing money anymore [or a stolen laptop] because the world is ending today and everyone still thinks it’s happening to someone else while it’s happening to them. Is it too late? Of course it is! ‘What do they need?’ Don’t ask Pastor Rick. Like you, dear reader. ‘They need to hold on real tight.’ Mockler’s Anecdotes is an instant ‘post hope’ classic!” —Kirby, author of Poetry is Queer

“Utterly original, bracingly acidic, and always vulnerable, Kathryn Mockler channels Donald Barthelme having a psychotic break in this magnificent collection of coming-of-age stories for late stage capitalism.” —Emily Schultz, author of The Blondes and Sleeping With Friends

Order a copy of Anecdotes from Book*hug Press or your favourite independent bookstore.

Issue #9 of Send My Love to Anyone

Micro Interview with Lee Henderson

Excerpt from The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont

Excerpt from If I Die, Will You Die? by Kathryn Mockler

September 2021 Recommendations

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