The Tale I’ll Tell you

The Tale I’ll Tell You

Zdravka Evtimova

Happiness is a simple thing, you said. Happiness is a cool shadow and you looking at me. But we don’t have cool shadows in Trun. In summer there is no grass like the grass you see in your picture books. The dust is knee-deep and it is so hot your heels bleed, and there are flies in the thick air that drink water from your eyes. The sun is so red you can’t look at it. There are no trees….

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About Eckleburg

The Doctor T. J. Eckleburg Review is a print and digital literary journal. We offer original fiction — short stories, short short stories, hybrid—poetry and nonfiction. We also curate The Eckleburg Gallery — visual artwork and intermedia — as well The Groove including first released, original music by The Size Queens. Our archives include emerging and established writers, poets, artists, musicians and performers such as Rick Moody, Cris Mazza, Eurydice, Steve Almond, Stephen Dixon, Moira Egan, David Wagoner, Zach Galifianakis and many more. We run annual print issues, The Eckleburg Reading Series (DC, Baltimore, Chicago, New York….), as well as, the annual Gertrude Stein Award in Fiction with a first prize of $1000 and print publication.

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We accept previously unpublished and polished prose — short story, short short story, hybrid — up to 8,000 words year round, unless announced otherwise.  We are always looking for tightly woven short works under 2,000 words and short-shorts around 500 words. No multiple submissions but simultaneous is fine as long as you withdraw the submission asap through the submissions system. Please do not email the editors to withdraw your submission. Submit your fiction.

Zdravka Evtimova
Zdravka Evtimova was born in Bulgaria where she lives and works as a literary translator. Her short story collections have been published globally: Bitter Sky (SKREV Press), Somebody Else (MAG Press), Miss Daniella (SKREV Press), Pale and Other Postmodern Bulgarian Stories. Her novel Sinfonia Bulgarica was published by Fomite Books.