Oh Holly, The Fish is Dead

From Kurt Vonnegut to Stephen King, many novelists use metanarrative techniques to insert fictional versions of themselves in the stories they tell. The function of deploying such techniques is often to draw attention to the liminal space between the fictional constructs inherent in the novel as a form, and the real world from which the constructs draw inspiration, and indeed, are read by an audience. For emerging writers working in short form narratives, however, the structural demands of the short story or flash fiction make the use of similar techniques problematic in the level of depth to which they can be deployed. ‘Oh Holly, the fish is dead’ is the fourth in a series of short stories that work to overcome the structural limitations of a succinct form by developing a fractured fictional version of the author over a number of pieces and published across a range of sites. The accumulative affect is a richer metanarrative textual arrangement that also allows for the individual short stories to function independently.

Aerial view of the Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California

Aerial view of the Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore Street, Chapman College, Orange, California. The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his widow, Betty Hutton Williams. Renovated in the mid-1990s.

Architectural drawing for the Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California

Architectural drawing for the Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California. The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his wife, Betty Hutton Williams.

Groundbreaking for the Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California, March 22, 1977

Groundbreaking for the Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California, March 22, 1977. Left to right are Davis T. Chamberlin, Ross McClintock, Mrs. Harold Hutton, J. Robert Fluor II, George Argyros, Rich Rider.The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his wife, Betty Hutton Williams.

Davis L. Chamberlin, Betty Hutton, and George Argyros with cake for the Hutton Sports Center groundbreaking, March 22, 1977

Davis L. Chamberlin, Betty Hutton, and George Argyros with cake for the Hutton Sports Center groundbreaking, March 22, 1977. The Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California was completed in 1978, named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his widow, Betty Hutton Williams.

George Argyros, Betty Hutton, and G. T. "Buck" Smith at the dedication of Hutton Sports Center

George Argyros, Betty Hutton Williams, and G. T. "Buck" Smith at the dedication of Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California, on Founders' Day, November 10, 1979. The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his widow, Betty Hutton Williams.

Bandleader Les Brown with Trustee Jack Duddy at the dedication of the Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California

Bandleader Les Brown with Trustee Jack Duddy at the dedication of the Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California, November 10, 1979. The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his wife, Betty Hutton Williams.

Construction of the Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California, 1977

Construction of the Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California, 1977. The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his wife, Betty Hutton Williams.

Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California

Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California, January, 1980. The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his wife, Betty Hutton Williams. Renovated in the mid 1990s.

Weight room, Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California

Weight room, Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California, March, 1979. The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his wife, Betty Hutton Williams.

Sculpture by R. Bret Price and Harold Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California

Sculpture by R. Bret Price in front of the Harold Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California. The Harold Hutton Sports Center completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his wife, Betty Hutton Williams. Image used for holiday card by Chapman College president G. T. "Buck" Smith and his wife Joni.

Entrance, Hutton Sports Center, Chapman College, Orange, California

Entrance, Hutton Sports Center, 219 E. Sycamore St., Chapman College, Orange, California. The Harold Hutton Sports Center, completed in 1978, is named in honor of this former trustee, and made possible by a gift from his wife, Betty Hutton Williams.

View overlooking the Hutton Sports Complex at Chapman College, Orange, California

View from Hashinger Hall overlooking the Hutton Sports Complex at Chapman College, Orange, California, 1979. Rooftops of residences and trees in the foreground; the stadium and athletics field in the background.