Contributions by Ken Harvey

Ken Harvey 's stories have been published in over 20 literary magazines such as The Massachusetts Review, The Nebraska Review and River Styx. His writing is forthcoming in The South Carolina Review and The Cimmaron Review. He is the author of two books, a memoir and a collection of stories that won the Violet Quill Award for best new gay fiction at the Lambda Literary Festival in San Francisco. The Boston Globe called his memoir “powerful” and “moving,” and it was selected by the American Library Association for its “Rainbow Book List,” a compilation of LGBT books of significant importance. A Pushcart Prize nominee and recipient of a writing grant from the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, he holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars. Ken teaches writing in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He lives in Boston and Toronto with his husband and two basset hounds, Shakespeare and Willa.

The Invisible Mourner

Published on July 20th of 2014 by Ken Harvey in BAR(2), Fiction.

Ken Harvey

Gordon’s cold had gone deeper, his breathing raspy and heavy.  He had just made an appointment to see his doctor later that afternoon when Ellen Joyce, who worked in the rectory at St. Luke’s Church, phoned him.  She told him that at Sodality’s Brunch that morning, Father Jim had stood to thank the women for their service when he was stricken by a massive heart attack. He died before the ambulance arrived.

“It’s hard to know what to say,” Gordon said, wondering how he had managed to put the words together.  His body grew warm as if his cold had spiked a fever.  He removed his wire-framed glasses and pressed his fingertips against his eyelids. When he heard Ellen sniffling, he tried to think of something comforting to say, but all he could come … Read More »






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