short stories – Page 5 – Andrew Careaga

My quest for coffee stories yields not a latte

On International Coffee Day, the scarcity of java-inspired stories continues to baffle me

Note: I consulted ChatGPT for assistance in researching literary references to coffee.

Like many of my fellow writers, my brain runs on coffee. It takes a couple of cups of flavorful, strongly brewed dark roast to prep me for the writing flow. I’m on my third cup of the morning as I sit down to write this, and will probably pause at some point to pour a fourth.

As popular as coffee is among Americans–it is, by far, our nation’s most popular drink, according to Coffeenatics–the magical elixir it does not seem to figure prominently in our literature.

Friday Five: Frazzled Lit short story winner Gary Finnegan

‘I am trying to get over a bad habit of submitting every piece of fiction I write.’

Gary Finnegan‘s short story “Limbo Nights,” which won first place in the Frazzled Lit 2025 short story competition, has been described as “a word-perfect gallop through the highs and lows of a post-Leaving Cert trip, and the swift transition from irresponsible child to semi-responsible adult-in-training.” The story is also praised for its “Great imagery and dialogue,” and I agree wholeheartedly.

An accomplished journalist as well as a writer of fiction, Gary is based in Kildare, Ireland. His writing has appeared in The Hooghly Review, The London Magazine, Litro, Flash Fiction Magazine, Roi Fainéant, and elsewhere. Read on to learn more about the inspiration for “Limbo Nights,” Gary’s upcoming projects, his advice to other writers, and more.