A Senior Moment

Thanks a million to Michael Garriga of The Southeast Review. Of course I'm not happy that you've rejected my short fiction, but you were quite emphatic about my trying again, and that goes a long way when the battered ego needs a bit of a stroke.

I have other pieces I can submit, of course. Except for the one that I sent to a journal that demands an exclusive look, but they rejected an earlier bit within a four month span, so I hope for an equally quick turn-around time. They asked me to try again as well, so, there you have it.

At any rate, I'd be happy to toss another few sheets of paper into the postal stream. The problem is, you see, well, actually....did I really submit something?

Must have happened, since the rejection slip came back in one of my very own SASEs. The design of the stamp sort of gives me a clue that I sent the thing at the beginning of the summer, maybe, or it could have been more like mid-July. I can't say at all because I have absolutely no record of sending anything to The Southeast Review.

I've been so very good and organized about the short fiction submissions. The title of the piece at the top of the page, and then I scribble down the journal and the date. Simple, completely simple, but not fool-proof. The only explanation is that I lapsed into a senior moment, sent out a packet and never thought to log the thing. As much as I'd like to submit again, without knowing what I sent to begin with, I can't take a chance and give them the same story again.

I have a terrible feeling that this was not the only story I sent out at the same time. For weeks, I've had this nagging feeling that I submitted to Literal Latte, but there's no evidence in my records. With the rejection from The Southeast Review coming as a surprise, I truly believe that I did submit to another journal. Not a big deal, unless by some minor miracle one of my short pieces gets accepted, and I have to let others know that I'm pulling the submissions.

Dear Editor, I sent you something some time past and, if it was This Story, can you pull it, or if it's a different story, I hope you're still considering. Brilliant, to sound like a complete idiot. That'll impress the editors.

Not to worry, though. My track record of rejection should protect me.