In 1920, St Catherine’s Church dominates much of the life in the little Wisconsin town of Twin Pines. Henri and Sybylle Prevett begit eight children, six girls and two boys who grow up in a two story, square house built a few yards from the Wisconsin River. With the Blessed Virgin as a model, Sybylle […]

By Greg Venne Copyright © 2016 by Greg Venne CHAPTER 1             A German artillery shell landed close to Auggie Bedell. So we were told. I could imagine it killed him right there and then. For a while I did think of his torn body, but I put that aside in time. His remains lie […]

The fictional family, the Prevetts, serve to feed six of my novels. A matriarch, Sybylle, watches over the virtue of six daughters who come of age around the time of World War I. The Prevetts are all too human, and admonitions and persistent vigilance can’t hold back culture and flesh. Behind A Still Face The […]

Behind A Still Face Each parfait glass sits empty, lined up with a spoon still resting inside. Maybe the guests even licked the spoons, but they scraped the insides clean of the pudding. A few of these folks became tired of sitting or they became cramped and thought standing might redistribute air. Perhaps finishing dessert […]

A Short Story By Greg Venne Old women do not attract the attention of priests. A parish can always count so many widows, soon-to-be-widows, and a smattering of old maids like myself. The priest will conduct our quiet funerals in front of a sparse congregation. A misperception, old women appear to give the most reverence […]

By Greg Venne “I love my ancestors even though they died.” Our 5-year-old granddaughter asked my wife to write those words in her diary. We don’t know what motivated her request, but she seemed sincere. Old family photos decorate the walls of the homes of both my children. Most of those pictures from the Venne […]