The Short Story: The Tiny Things Edition

Welcome to the second issue of The Short Story!

Every week I’ll be sending out a collection of things to read, watch, or think about relating to a central theme. Like a good short story, I’m aiming for thoughtful brevity, with just enough material to give us something to ponder or make us laugh before we jump back into our day. Thanks for joining me!

This week I'm thinking about tiny things. Everything has felt so big lately -- too big -- big events, big tragedies, big emotions. In order to handle the seemingly endless onslaught of big things, my brain is going the opposite way; I'm craving small, tiny, manageable. I want tiny thoughts I can play with with and not feel drowned in uncertainty. The big things are still there, and they deserve attention, but for today, I am looking towards the little focused points of light in the darkness.

I had no idea that watching tiny pancakes being made would be such a pleasant experience. The videos at Miniature Space feature a pair of hands making an edible, albeit tiny, meal. There is no sound other than that of the careful preparations and it creates an almost meditative atmosphere.

Last year, I stumbled upon this Gawker article about tiny food videos and now I feel like I could have written it. They speculate that the videos are so addictive because they trigger an AMSR (autonomous sensory meridian response). The short explanation: they can trigger low-grade euphoria, pleasant feelings, and relaxation. Go watch a few and see for yourself.

I am in awe of these incredibly detailed tiny sculptures. The artist, Cindy Chinn, carves amazing micro sculptures into carpenter's pencils.

"Do something beautiful."

In this short 7 minute film, George Saunders shares his secrets to good storytelling. He urges you not to come into your stories loaded with intention, but to let revision, as an act of love, move your stories towards meaning.

I'm convinced that the only thing better than books might be tiny books. I just learned about the Miniature Book Society. A favorite craft blogger made tiny books with her daughters which, of course, caused me to fall down a rabbit hole of miniature book tutorials on Pinterest.

My own tiny thing -- the tiny person I made -- has made the biggest impact on my life and led me to a better understanding of myself. This poem, Art Class, is about the time I took him to a toddler art class and realized how different I was from the other parents.

Thanks for joining me this week! If you like The Short Story and want to support it, feel free to forward it to a friend or come visit me at avalovehanna.com.

Have something you've written, made, or read and would love to see it featured in a future edition of The Short Story? Email submissions to: theshortstory@avalovehanna.com