I Know That Now
But I Didn’t Know That Then
by Paul Busst
Published by Phantom Page, 2023. Available in paperback.
‘I Know That Now But I Did’t Know That Then‘ is the second collection of tales of the diminutive available in paperback.
About:
Into the woods… A serial killer with a penchant for Dennis Potter films, the legend of Touchstone Moth, a late night encounter with the Exmoor beast, ancient coelacanths, unreliable memories of Dublin and its environs, the disturbing tale of the Bride of Bladnoch, a fatal excursion into space, Emily Hale reaching out, supernatural forces, vital truth, foreshadowing the antihero of ‘Brighton Rock’, the tower by the shore, turning tides, abandoned memory palaces, unstable tones, surfaces scratched, the mystery of Island Stone, hexerie and witchcraft, too soon, too late, a precious vial cracked, left at the lake, the ending you seek…
Over the course of a year, Paul Busst wrote a very short story every day based on a set of self-defined rules. From the traditional to the absurd, this second collection of tales of the diminutive will enthral readers of all tastes. Drawing on personal, historical and cultural references, literary works, cinematic and musical influences, each story is accompanied by the author’s notes, providing further insight into the playful, perceptive and poignant nature of his short-form fiction.
You can take a look at a selection of short stories from ‘I Know That Now But I Didn’t Know That Then’ here.
I Thought There Would Be More
by Paul Busst
Published by Phantom Page, 2021. Available in paperback.
‘I Thought There Would Be More‘ is a collection of very short stories available in paperback.
About:
Over the course of a year, Paul Busst wrote a very short story every day based on a set of self-defined rules. From the traditional to the surreal, this collection of 365 bitesize stories will enthral readers of all tastes. Dip in and out of evocative landscapes and intriguing lives replete with endless possibilities.
These compelling mini tales chronicle contemporary themes which are, at times, lyrical, resonant, unsettling, comical, claustrophobic, meditative, horrific, sensitive, enigmatic, provocative, supernatural, tender, confessional, absurd and joyful.
Each story is accompanied by the author’s notes, providing further insight into the playful, perceptive and poignant nature of his short-form fiction. Drawing heavily on a range of cultural references and in particular, musical influences, the author has also curated a comprehensive Spotify playlist as a companion piece to this volume of collected stories.
Read, listen, enjoy!
You can take a look at a selection of short stories from ‘I Thought There Would Be More’ here.
Swords by Paul Busst
Published by Phantom Page, 2020. Available in paperback.
‘Swords‘ is the second collection of poetry available in paperback.
About:
Written over a two year period, this latest collection of poems explores the authenticity of memory and the dream-like states we inhabit, how we create narratives around the significant events we remember, moments that come and go yet still remain, places where we have been and not been, the sadness and joy of the connections made with people we meet and sometimes know.
Recurring themes of literature, music, art, mythology, cinema, current affairs, social commentary, folklore, philosophy and environment are interwoven to reflect the unresolved nature of life and how we define cultural and personal identity against the backdrop of ever-increasing political uncertainty.
From the problem of Königsberg to the German expressionist Käthe Kollwitz, from supernatural encounters in Baginton to the social divisions of Brexit Britain, from Hannah Arendt’s essential action of unfixing the fixed past to T. S. Eliot’s ‘Burnt Norton’ and the subsequent heartache of Emily Hale, Swords is a story of living between the past and the uncertain future while affirming the reality we construct and revise throughout our lives, forever haunted by what is known and imagined.
Defects by Paul Busst
Published by Phantom Page, 2018. Available in paperback.
‘Defects‘ is the first collection of poetry available in paperback.
About:
such a time
a record of events
opportune moments
feature length
repeated drama
overlapping scenes
indelible proof
protest dollars
homo sapien bipeds
armed incursions
zero emissions
global surges
a bandit act
humanitarian crisis
cold war bullshit
history laughs
new information
the border fortress
unreported states
isolated dissidents
hooligan grace
the girl from the corporation post room
catalogued archives
unhappy endings
late night gritting
lawless estates
this is happening
92% of nothing is something
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