Aldo Garcia-Pajaro
Assignment 2 Quiz
09/03/23
1. One of the most important features of the short-short, according to David Starkey, is its
ambiguous nature. He notes, “Many recreational readers savor a pleasant diversion that
doesn’t require much investment of mental energy,” referring to the vast majority’s
preference for a simple yet enticing narrative as opposed to genre fiction’s tendency to
trail off in world-building or exposition (p. 100). This can be observed in “Rhyme Game”
by Bonnie Jo Campbell, who refrains from giving the reader too much information. She
opts to deftly apply a different range of literary techniques, including vivid language and
concentration on character. For example, “[Tinny’s] brothers had promised to take her
with them to the auto parts junk yard, but the way her mother drove, there was no
guarantee she’d be alive to go” (p. 112). Campbell conveys a breadth of backstory
relatively rapidly for Tinny and her family that can be implied, such as her mother’s
reputation for reckless driving or Tinny’s interest in automobile parts despite being
unable to drive herself.
The author described only the most exciting parts about this particular family in an effort
to keep her audience engaged and maintained a sense of strong definition for these
characters so as to not waste a single page, just as Starkey advises. A popular genre story,
by contrast, would have the room from front cover to back to explain the smallest of
details about a side character’s origin or the components of a sci-fi ray-gun. Campbell
knows very well to adhere to the successful aspects of a short story, ensuring that the
world around her characters feels tangible but opaque enough not to get lost in it while
preserving the boldness of her own authorial style.