If one desires, they can have a story end in so many different ways. Some stories just have a feel from the start for a certain kind of ending, but others are shaped by a writer’s environment — sometimes even being affected by other stories written around the time a particular story is done. That’s […]

The 100-year-old son of the oldest man to ever live plots to kill a 123-year-old man about to break his father’s record. Content Advisory: Swearing and cartoonish violence. Stress of aging and mortality. A son trying to live up to his father’s expectations. Credits: Music: Ergo Phizmiz and Chad Crouch Story and Narration: Christopher Gronlund

The last episode was a bit of a departure, with seven bits of micro-fiction. The most fascinating thing was hearing which stories people loved most (“Vlad Stovepipe” won). So…for this episode of Behind the Cut, a bit about each of the stories…

A bit of a departure this holiday season: seven stories instead of one! (Think of it as micro-fiction stocking stuffers.) “Not About Lumberjacks” – As it says in the name, this story is not about lumberjacks! “Be a Man” – Sometimes kids grow up faster than they should. “Fucking Asshole” – It’s a story about […]

Something a little different this time… Because “The Hidebehind” was the first episode of Not About Lumberjacks with a male narrator other than me, I chat with Defender Radio’s Michael Howie about what it was like to work together on the story’s production. It’s a glorious tale of friendship, creativity…and majestic beards! (Also, you should […]

Something lurks in the woods outside a lumber camp in this story I SWEAR is NOT about lumberjacks… Content Advisory: Swearing. Violence (involving fights and knives). Alcohol use. Mass poisoning. Horror (monster in the woods). Dementia brought on by environmental factors. Implied cannibalism. * * * Credits: Story: Christopher Gronlund Narration: Michael Howie, of the […]

There really is a Memorial Park where after-school fights took place when I was in junior high school. And I was involved in one myself; in fact, some reality creeped into “Memorial Park.” If you’re interested in what’s real and not in the story, look no further than this…

An after-school fight pits the meanest kid in Walt Whitman Junior High School against one of its shyest geeks. Content Advisory: Swearing. Bullying. Violence (bullying and an after-school fight). Humiliation. * * * Credits: Music: Ergo Phizmiz and Chad Crouch Story and Narration: Christopher Gronlund

I was never the punk that Bobby McGarvey or Stevie Saturn were in “Cubicle Punks,” but I do have something in common with them: I have always struggled with certain things that come with a “responsible” job. The pull between a day job that pays the bills and pursuing one’s dreams is a recurring theme […]

Two aging punks come to grips with who they once were…and what they’ve become today. Content Advisory: Swearing. Drug and alcohol use. A small fight. Mention of violence (a large, back-alley fight). Midlife crisis. Dissatisfaction with work and life. * * * Credits: Music: Ergo Phizmiz and Punk Rock Opera Story and Narration: Christopher Gronlund