Sam Berlin short stories memoire travel

A Memoire; a Travelogue: A Short Story

You used to come to life here… You still do.

The tumblers cascade: words and numbers; a thousand castanets building to a crescendo before gradually falling silent, their song reminiscent of pebbles driven before a wave. The commotion echoes in the void; ricocheting off the brickwork; through the exposed iron.

The departures board at Paddington talks; somehow poignant and yet at the same time visceral, you whisper in my ear.

How could it convey information in a manner that seemed, somehow, sensual? Like so many postcards home.

We all contrive meaning, you said. I believe it’s called post rationalisation, I responded. I don’t like that phrase; it implies cynicism. I would rather think of it as the jigsaw of life; a means of furnishing context, you replied.

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Sam Berlin Short story comedy

How To Conduct Business In The Modern World…

A lithe man replete with pencil moustache, trimmed as neat as can be, silver topped and ferruled walking cane, pince nez, top hat and tails, reeking of expensive cologne, enters the Apple store at 767 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. His demeanour suits his appearance and with nose held aloft he strides purposefully up to a loitering chap with the logo of the Corporation upon his tee.

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Sam Berlin short story Apple US comedy

A Job Is What You Make Of It

My agent called. Before I answered, I visualised him in my mind’s eye: a tall and stately gent, with prehensile brows that could be raised or lowered like Tower Bridge over charcoal eyes as treacherous as the Thames herself. An old school accent and deep purr that brooked no dissent. I imagine the creak of the leather soles of his handmade brogues and the snap of his cuffs. He’s the old-fashioned sort. Doesn’t touch Zoom, for instance. Face-to-face, letter, or telephone- at a push. I answered. 

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Sam Berlin Middle Grade fiction Ghosts Macy

Macy & the Ghosts of Golden Gate

Imagine there is another dimension that envelops our three like an invisible blanket. Now, imagine that world is populated by ghosts and spectres who have worked out that they can enter our world…

The world of Macy & the Ghosts of Golden Gate is exciting and engaging, drawing on a richly drawn and complex cast of characters. It is ideally suited for middle grade and adult readers alike.

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Sam Berlin short story violin plastic

In Search of Permanence…

In Search of Permanence…

Or…

In Recognition of the Impertinence of Time…

I have a predilection for plastic. The concept of crafting products from man-made matter appeals on a fundamental level. Plus, except for certain aggregates, natures’ endeavours when it comes to raw materials tend toward the fragile. The polymers we manufacture are both ductile and at the same time robust enough to endure. And the colours are more vivid, too.

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