Beta read another of J. Scott Coatsworth’s fine stories. Doubtless it will be published soon.

Read Jeffrey Marks’ story “The Fall Of the House Of Fresher” in the LGBT-themed mystery anthology “Crime Ink: Iconic.” An homage to Dupin and Ellery Queen. Nice touches about the late Seventies from the closeted college-kid narrator. My first read of the year…

Read “The Lost Blend,” by O. Henry. Read about it in an article about “Pete’s Tavern” in NYC. Was called “Healey’s,” and Henry calls it “Kenealy’s” in the story. Reportedly O. Henry sat and wrote stories in the tavern. Local legend claims he wrote “Gift Of the Magi” there.

Read Nelson Bond’s 1995 story “Pipeline to Paradise” in Roger Zelazny’s posthumous anthology “Wheel Of Fortune.” The story starts out like one of the whimsical yarns Bond wrote in the 30s and 40s about characters like Horse-Sense-Hank. Then comes the twist.

And another.

And another!

And a kicker last line…

Read “The Wand’s Boy” by Rick Bowes in the anthology “So Fey” from Lethe Press. Sent Bowes a birthday thing on F.B.; didn’t know he had died in ‘23. Anthony Cardno posted that he had met Bowes a few times so I decided I’d better read him. “Wand’s Boy” is very otherworldly.

Read the usual offerings by E.H. Timms and Kaje Harper.

And I read a bunch of the stories in Cait Gordon’s new collection “Speculative Shorts,” which is reviewed in full on this blog so I won’t repeat myself.

I didn’t read as much as I have been, mainly because I kicked the writing into high gear. I’m going to have to strike a balance.

—–jeff baker January 20, 2026