Brian c. baer

I’m very happy and beyond honored that my story “2011 Cabernet” has been selected for the newest volume of Lilac City Fairy Tales.

The anthology has become a local literary institution over the past few years. Each one is made up of prose and poetry from Spokane-locals, and the proceeds go towards Spark Central, the community youth literacy center. This year’s theme is “Towers and Dungeons”, and my story fits into that motif if you squint hard enough and decide to accept very non-literal definitions of those words.

“2011 Cabernet” was inspired by my hometown of Walla Walla, Washington, and the wine industry that boomed as soon as I left for college. I became more than a little bitter that the place wasn’t as cool or cultured when I lived there, and now I can’t afford to.

It also came to me in a dream. That’s usually just a joke I say, but this time I actually mean it.

Anyways, the release party for Lilac City Fairy Tales vol. 4: Towers and Dungeons is a week from today, Valentines Day, at Spokane’s beautiful Bing Crosby Theater. I’ll be there, being generally uncomfortable with all the human interaction involved.