Joyce Goldenstern

Joyce Goldenstern writes and "lives by" fiction, often inspired by folktales, animals, visual art, and other literature as well as her own experiences and imaginings. She has been published in many journals and anthologies and has a collection of short stories (The Story Ends―The Story Never Ends) and a chapbook (Way Stops Americana —2017/18 Gambling the Aisle chapbook contest). She has been awarded two Illinois Arts Council grants for her work and won a Quarterly West novella contest. She lives in Chicago. Her novel In Their Ruin is to be published by Black Heron Press.

In Their Ruin: Inquisitor

The first evil thing that Samuel Stone remembered doing in his life happened when he was nine years old. He burned a martyr at the stake.
Of Gladys’s three sons, Samuel was the one who listened most intently to Gladys’s stories and asked the most questions. He was a practical child who carefully counted his allowance coins, but also a child who appreciated metaphors.
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