Rights (Edited?) Up for Post Roe Alternatives

It’s a new story, although a fairly slight one. Only 400 words and more snarky than profound. But there is a certain kind of tale that I sometimes call a “the devil made me do it story”– one where the madness of some aspect of the world outside gets to me enough that I have to react, even if the result only ends up languishing in my file cabinet. Its title is “Rights.”

But then, funny thing, B Cubed Press Editor/Publisher Bob Brown had possibly a similar feeling — and thus this announcement: Roe V. Wade has happened. The question is what is next? What happens in our country? What happens TO our country? what freedoms are next? Do we resist? How?

There will be consequences. What are they? Who stands up? Who caves?

This is a look at the consequences of a SCOTUS who reserves rights for the Rich, the Corporation, the Badged and the Powerful.

The anthology title, POST ROE ALTERNATIVES, and the submission window was short, as could be the stories, and “Rights” seemed to fit. So in it went with nine days to spare. And today the answer came: Thank you for submitting “Rights” to POST ROE ALTERNATIVES. We loved this and would like to accept it for publication. Although with a caveat: Couple of things. I’d like to see the cop be a woman. And there will be edits.

I’m usually not a great fan of editors’ changes, at least major ones, but with “Rights” it’s the idea and not literary niceties — and POST ROE is to be a charity anthology too, with proceeds earmarked for the ACLU. And I don’t object to the sex change either, so I sent back my “okay” this afternoon with a note that I’ll look forward to seeing what Bob and his designated editor will have in mind.