A Box of Dreams

Denis Bells stories are short only in length; in insight vision humor and style they have a farseeing distance and depth that will keep you wedded to the page either laughing marveling or scratching your head.-- David L. Robbins author War of the RatsA thought-provoking collection of flashes and longer stories: poignant strange humorous and humane. A Box of Dreams should be opened by all.-- Peter Blair and Ashley Chantler. Editors for Flash: The International Short: Short Story MagazineIn A Box of Dreams nothing is as it seems. For the characters caught up in Denis Bells intricately interconnected world of flash fictions up is down. Black is white. Indeed only one thing is certain: by the time youre done with A Box of Dreams youll find yourself looking over your shoulder... These stories are cool as hell.-- Andrew Geyer Fiction Editor for Concho River Review author Lesser Mountains and Whispers in Dust and BoneDenis Bell and flash fiction represent a marriage made in Heaven. The two dozen short works in his collection A Box of Dreams show him working at the top of his game. In each the readers mind is taken for a weird wonderful walk thats by turns wryly humorous and darkly intriguing. Louise Browns illustrations lend just the right atmosphere for an absorbing read. -- Paul Blaney Writer in Residence Rutgers University author The AnchoressDenis Bells collection of short fiction A Box of Dreams 2nd edition centers itself in the tradition of Spoon River Anthology (minus the tombstones)and Winesburg Ohio. A Box of Dreams is dark without a trace of cynicism: it invites empathy for even the least attractive of the characters; these protagonists commonly suffer from mangled memories rightful guilt and an inability to distinguish between delusion and reality between past and present. The stories tease and tantalize: truth glimmers between the lines. Louise Freshman Browns gorgeous images are haunting illuminations.-- Miriam N. Kotzin author Country Music Spuyten Duyvil PressEach piece in Denis Bells A Box of Dreams is a work of magic that moves steadily along pulling you in and not letting you go... The stories are by turns haunting heartbreaking and funny and they never fail to surprise... Blending the real with the surreal these stories more than anything else get to the heart of our humanity our vulnerabilities and they do so in a way that represents the best in flash fiction.-- Dennis Pahl Long Island University Editor for Confrontation Magazine