Not that I don't love all my children, but here are a few of the "seminal" stories in the Jake Thomas catalogue, most of them written during my year of writing a short story a week. These are the ones that got some of the better feedback or ones that I just particularly like. I hope you do, too!
The Lord of Old Manse County - Here we see exhibited my love of throwing in a total curveball at the end of a story. Leave out the last section and this is a strange, sweet story, I think. Put that last section back in, and I'm an insane person. Either way, I like this one.
Piano Lessons - A weeper. One of the first stories I wrote for the short-story-a-week year, so definitely an early piece, but I like it.
The Shirt - The most marketable story I've ever written? Probably. Just wait until it shows up in McSweeney's. Juuuust you wait. Oh yeah. Keep waiting. Waaaait for it.
Tribulation - After 20 years a man is released from prison. Turns out his troubles may just be starting.
Snow Angel - Not brilliant, but a fun little action piece. There has been talk of trying to turn this into a comic. I've even done crude, stick figure storyboards. STORYBOARDS!!!!
Pills - Wrote this for Sean Frasier's awesome show The Applewood Review. A man takes pills. A story ensues.