Jordan J Hall
Bio
I write Historical and Speculative Flash Fiction. Nature and society's underbelly are the focus of my work. Read my debut collection of short stories, Mammoth, Massachusetts and check out jordanjhall.com for more.
Stories (39)
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Forrest Fenn's Real Treasure
I Am Thankful for Forrest Fenn and His Treasure For the uninitiated, in 2010 Forrest Fenn hid an actual treasure somewhere in the actual Rocky Mountains and left the only clues to its location in an actual poem. It is the modern-day fairy tale we're all looking for, and the man who made it happen is no longer here. The hunt, and the man, came with a certain amount of intrigue. Forrest was an early, vociferous, and widely respected dealer in art and artifacts of the American Southwest. His name has been mentioned and cleared of scandal, but the fact remains he unearthed ancient dwellings on his property. Forrest lived long enough to see his treasure found and was in awe at the sheer spectacle the treasure hunt became. He left us with more than a box of knickknacks. Forrest instilled the notion that treasure truly can be found.
By Jordan J Hall4 years ago in Wander
Book Review: The Council of Animals
The Council of Animals Nick McDonell 2021 Fable 193 pages When my brother suggested this book, I knew immediately I would read it. Understanding little about its premise, I trusted my gut and reserved it from the online CWMARS directory, which connects 155 libraries in Central and Western Massachusetts. Within a week this little ditty showed its cover at the Clapp Memorial Library, and I was off to the races.
By Jordan J Hall4 years ago in Humans
Siren In The Swamp
Sawyer County, Wisconsin October, 1889 Isaac said the fog was a good thing. According to him, Omaha’s legend told of fog being one of the protections of the silver mine. Isaac had been chasing this treasure for six years and knew all there was to know about it. He said there were other natural warnings, clues rather, telling us we were on the right path: pallid mushrooms, dead trees, the fog-I did not like it. The stuff seemed to come out of nowhere when we crested the last hill. We had stalked in the woods for an hour and that was after hiding near the washout to make sure no one saw us leave. Sundays in the logging camp ain't nothing to waste, we don’t need anything else hampering our treasure hunt.
By Jordan J Hall4 years ago in Fiction
Do I Need a Writing Group?
If you have been thinking about joining a writing group, you should. Merely having the thought is a clear sign you need to take the next step and explore available options. I know, it is terrifying to bear your work to others, but this is part of the process.
By Jordan J Hall4 years ago in Journal
The Misbegotten Pear
Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted a pear. She wanted a pear because she wanted to share pears. You see, Penny had recently discovered the sweet wonder of a perfect pear. It made her feel peaceful and alive. Penny thought the best thing for everyone was to try a pear, just in case it could make them feel the same.
By Jordan J Hall4 years ago in Families
Book Review-A Children's Bible
A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet YA Fiction 2020 224 pages Just to be clear, this book is not actually a bible. But it is a refreshing journey into the ‘what if’ of the eventual ‘big storm’. Staunchly YA, with nods to the younger MG brethren, this is a romp with fascinating insights. Wonderful dialogue keeps the dozens of characters alive and distinct, not an easy task when the ages vary so greatly. When I say staunchly YA, what I really mean is anti-adult. A regular dose of parental malfeasance makes it easy to identify with the children in that regard. Thanks to Lydia Millet’s careful voice I was able to take a frank look at myself and my friends-and what our antics must look like to our kids.
By Jordan J Hall4 years ago in Families
Sam Patch, the Famous Jumper
The boy was a circus without a tent. He took his first jumps more than 200 years ago, though he was not the first to do them, there was something about the way Sam did it. He had something that made us all watch. Yes, he was a drunk much of his short life. Yes, he owned a pet bear and pandered it as such. Yes, you can look at him in the light of today and say he was just looking for trouble, subverting for his own prideful game. If you lay those threats on his character, then you miss wide his points for subversion. He called out to the misshapen masses at the bottom, ‘You can be more!’ He was the first stunt man, he was Johnny before Knoxville. Sam Patch used his abatement of fear to thrill thousands in live spectacles and millions more that shared his story.
By Jordan J Hall5 years ago in Humans
