The Red Carpet: A Collection of Short Stories

Every book written has displayed the determination, perseverance, and dedication of a writer, expressing themselves through the medium of writing to communicate with strangers, both present and future, their thoughts and emotions on a set of pages. The Red Carpet is no different, taking almost a lifetime of events to create and transcribe onto the pages.

The pages are a collage of stories throughout my life. They are tales, yarns, and events that have inspired and left an impression. Looking back for a moment on what inspired this book was an event from 1995, in the city of Marrakech, Morocco. 

During this particular evening, the great open squares were filled with peddlers, medicine men, and blankets covered with trinkets from all the districts. Both foreigners and locals wandered around these blankets where their owners sat, ready to trade and barter. In the air was the sound of folklore music and the accompanying dance performances. 

But what attracted and left an impression on me was the storytellers. Though few occupied the squares, the storytellers would sit on their simple blankets, surrounded by an inner circle of children, parents, and strangers. They would huddle around these remarkable people who held their audiences spellbound.

I have always had a great love for tales, whether they be written or verbal. They are the credence and material that have formed legends, myths, and perceived historical events long before historians entered the picture of facts. The Red Carpet is a collection of moments that have trickled throughout my life and left a dotted memory to be placed on pages.

This assembly of 28 short stories begins with a love story symbolized by the Turkish dowry carpet, moving on to a quirky Irish friar, a Spanish bull-fighter, knights of old, soul travel experiences, resistance fighters of Vietnam, Chinese Moon cakes Festival, pubs of Scotland, and everything in between. Enjoy the moments as I have enjoyed them.