Congratulations to Dr. Martha Brenckle, whose short story, “Nesting Dolls,” was accepted as a Machigonne Fiction Contest Finalist for the independent literary review The New Guard. Her piece is up for consideration for a $1,500 prize in recognition for an exceptional work of fiction in any genre. In addition, “Nesting Dolls” will be published in The New Guard Volume VII next year.
“The largest doll suffered the wear and tear of being on the outside, of being the oldest, Thea liked to explain. She would slowly twist the doll apart, revealing four smaller and smaller dolls, all exactly the same except for size and relative position. “And there is me, the littlest doll,” she would laugh, completing the ritual. “Safe and whole on the inside.” Unlike Thea, the littlest doll was solid.“
– Nesting Dolls