Dear Orlando,
These are beautiful, moving stories. You're clearly a real writer. I particularly admire their lyrical economy —you know what to tell, what to imply, and what to consign to the realm of mystery.
You also clearly know how to bring a story to a satisfying, open-ended conclusion. Any story —any good one— is about the end of one episode and the beginning of another, the latter of which exists beyond the printed page. The ending of "Solosin" is particularly heartbreaking. I admire, very much, the way you thread the story of the dog through the larger tale, subtly but palpably, and then land on that note when you leave these people. This is the kind of story-telling instinct that's usually either present in a writer or not —it's not the sort of thing that's easy to teach.
If I felt your work needed to be stronger or clearer or any such, believe me, I'd tell you. I'd rather simply offer encouragement. Do send me more. You have a gift.
Yours,
Michael Cunningham
2010/05/06