Every summer since 2017, we have assembled a collection of short fiction from a revolving cast of local writers. For the most part, we have given the authors who participate only two guidelines: their stories must be under 1,000 words, and they must be set in or around Dallas. This year, we added another prompt: the writers were each given a list of episode titles from the original run of Dallas from which to choose. Their choice would serve as the title for their story and possibly a jumping off point.
The results retain traces of the source material in some cases; in others, the stories suggest a creepy counterfactual version of the iconic series, this time headed instead by David Lynch. Together, they illuminate corners of Dallas not always seen and remind us that no story is too small to be told. We’ll be running one story a day online, beginning with Julia Heaberlin’s Call Girl. Read it here, then head here to read shorts from past years.
