Polk Knoll: A Collection of Short Stories
Introduction
Polk Knoll — A Collection of Short Stories, is a compilation of the first stories I’ve published. I primarily write Auto-Fiction, but you’ll find a variety of styles in the following pages. All but one of these stories can be found via my blog at TheSouthernCopywriter.com. I’ve also published over 100 essays and articles there since I began writing professionally in 2024, many of which are narrated by me as well.
There will be a Non-Fiction companion book to this one titled, Essays of A **********, available in the Fall of 2026. It’ll consist of my favorite published memoir stories, poems, letters, and personal essays.
I’m also a contributor to the Southern Writers Guild Anthology — a collection of Porch Stories written by myself, Gray Merritt, Rick West, and Hank Cotton.
Though this is but one of a number of books I’ll publish this year, this collection of stories is very special to me. It’s hard to explain the feeling of pressing the publish button for the first time — it’s exciting, and scary to put your work out there for others to read!
Here’s what you’ll find in, Polk Knoll — A Collection of Short Stories:
The Merchant Marines, was the first short story I ever published. It is inspired by the very tales that my Papa told me as a child.
Belle of the Ball, is the only story from this collection not previously published. It was written specifically for this book, and serves as a continuation of The Merchant Marines.
The Invisible Man, was inspired by an essay by Sean of the South(Sean Dietrich), that bears the same name.
Cows Outside, is a group of three micros that visit the power of perspective.
The next seven stories were written submissions to Stories from the Jukebox, a weekly Substack writing group that takes inspiration from the greatest song of all time. As the founder of SFTJ, you can find a new piece of writing from me there each week. It’s free to read, and all Fiction and Non-Fiction writers are invited to join in.
Maci’s Blue Flower, was inspired by the song, Blue Flower, by Mazzy Star.
Dark Angel, was inspired by the song, Life During Wartime, by Talking Heads.
I Still Miss Someone, was inspired by the song, I Still Miss Someone, by Johnny Cash.
Here Comes The Sun, was inspired by the song, Here comes the Sun, by The Beatles.
BJ’s Karaoke Bar, was inspired by the song, Back in Black, by ACDC.
Woodstock, was inspired by the song, Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell.
No. 90, was inspired by the song, A Bar in Amsterdam, by Katzenjammer.
Sunday Funday, is a fun story written after I saw a mail truck on a Sunday.
And the final four stories are all part of The Chronicles of a Farmhand Series. The first three: Vaccination Day, It Happens Real Fast, and Harvest Season are Auto-Fiction. And I finish that collection and this book with a memoir story titled, Share the Road.
Happy Reading!
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Can't wait to get my copy! :)
(Even if I am not as fast reading your books as I should be, I am collecting them in my own little library!)
Congratulations Mj!
Look forward to reading your work !