THE SHORT STORY

of

Charles W. Harvey



I was born in Houston, Texas on September 19, 1957. And like this rambling glttery city, I aspire to achieve great things. Sometimes it's up to me to point out my glittering lights to others.

I became a writer because I suppose it was natural for an only child who spent a lot of time with imaginary playmates and
imaginary life. My Father passed when I was seven. From that point until I was 35, I was my Mother's constant companion.
We sometimes made up goofy names for various neighborhood
characters. A man with a "conk" became Dipsy Doo. His fat wife we called Hotshot. In the Kings Row Housing where I grew up
various people became Drunko, Duck, Mule Face, Dotted Cap,
Big Daddy, and others. Sometimes we drew crude pictures of
people. What was important, and I didn't know it then, was that
we were creating another life for these people, one that they
knew nothing about. And that is what I do when I'm writing
fiction and drama. I create life for characters.

I graduated from The University of Houston, with a
degree in Business Technology, No it wasn;t writing. In fact I didn?t write at all while I was in College. I became a writer after I left school and landed a job as
a Computer Operator. It was a good 3 day a week job that allowed
me to write. Of course sometimes it allowed me the leisure to be
lazy. Sometimes ones creativity catches fire. And sometimes it's
like a Lady in Waiting--waiting for the Queen to set the world  to whirling.

The catalyst that set all of this writing stuff in motion, was me
taking a class under Rosellen Brown. She is a gifted writer (Half
a Heart) and a very inspiring teacher. From all of that came a
small gusher of plays, poems, and stories. The Ladies and the
Iron Ball  was produced at Kuumba House, in Houston.
"Cheeseburger" won 1st place (Chosen by Joyce Carol Oates) in the PEN/Southwest Prizes and was published in the Ontario Review. I've had two stories published in STORY
Magazine--"When Dogs Bark" and "Red Underwear".

I'm happy to be a writer. What else could I be?

.

  The Blue Train to Heaven