“Domino Beach”

1:32pm, pacific standard time, Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California, USA, Thursday afternoon, October 20, 2022. I got another five minute short story from the vending machine at the airport. This one is called “Domino Beach” by Marie Ivantechenko. I like the fact the first time I got a story from the vending machine it was from a highly regarded author, O. Henry. This time I got one from a student. The story was runner up in Short Edition’s Long Story Short Award, 2020. I grabbed a cup of coffee and a danish before sitting down. It was a very pleasurable experience and a good read. This is my second to last time traveling through Oakland. After next week I will be in Palm Desert, California. I don’t know if I will miss air travel and crowded airports, but I will miss the routine I created.

O. Henry and the Oakland Airport

11:58am, pacific standard time, Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California, USA, Friday morning, October 14, 2022. They installed a short story kiosk at the Oakland Airport. You put your hand over a sensor indicating the story length you desire then, instantly, a strip of paper is dispensed, free of charge. The story lengths are 1 minute, 3 minutes or 5 minutes. I chose 5 minutes and got O. Henry’s, The Cactus. It is a good read and, I must say, a fun and novel way to encounter excellent writing.

Short story dispensed at Oakland, California airport