Poignant Stories: a book review of I’m Not Supposed to Be Here and Neither Are You

"Reading I'm Not Supposed to Be Here and Neither Are You" copyright 2018 Kristin Fouquet

For years, I’ve read Len Kuntz’s stories and poems online but had neglected to purchase one of his books. I finally resolved this by purchasing I’m Not Supposed to Be Here and Neither Are You (Unknown Press, 2016), a brilliant collection of flash fiction stories with evocative cover art by Emily Linstrom.

Flash fiction is relatively new in the realm of literature. Some believe these very short stories are closer to prose poems. Even its definition is highly debated. Although bound by word count like short stories, novellas, and novels, this criterion is unclear with flash fiction. Some claim a story must be under a 1,000 words, less than 500, fewer than 250, 100, 50… Hemingway’s six-word story, “For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn.” is an example of one of the shortest.

With remarkable word efficiency, Kuntz writes stellar stories. In I’m Not Supposed to Be Here and Neither Are You, he quickly draws the reader in, offering an exhilarating peek into the hearts and minds of his varied characters. The brevity is a rush, wasting no time. His minimalism leaves enough room for you to fill in any blanks. Many of these stories revisit similar themes, tapping into our soft spots- revealing our own vulnerability. Kuntz reminds us of our humanity.

Find out more here: I'm Not Supposed to Be Here and Neither Are You