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0000017c-60f7-de77-ad7e-f3f739cf0000Arts & More airs Fridays at 7:50 a.m. and 4:20 p.m.Theme music: "Like A Beginner Again" by Dan Barry of Seas of Jupiter

Proud To Be A Working Stiff? Read George Dila's New Short Fiction

When Michigan author George Dilaprinted buttons to advertise for his new chapbook of short stories called Working Stiffs. A few people didn't want to wear it, but Dila says even more people were ecstatic to claim that they too were a "working stiff."

Author George Dila
Author George Dila

Dila is now retired, but he worked in the advertising business in Detroit for more than 40 years.

Though not everyone can claim to be a "working stiff," Dila says the drudgery of work is something most people can relate to.

Dila will host a reading and workshop Saturday at Kazoo Books along with fellow Michigan author Philip Sterling. The workshop starts at 11 a.m., followed by the reading at around 3:30 p.m. 

All of Dila's stories in the chapbook have an element of dark humor and show the struggle of labor.

Though not all of the tales take place in an office - one story follows a soldier from the Bible in Joshua's army in the taking of the city of Jericho.

Dila says one of the most important element to a good story is the lead. The first story in the chapbook starts, "The sounds of Harry being murdered in the office at the end of the hall are the only sounds - the grunts, the thumps."

Dila says the first part of the story has to compel the reader to answer one simple question: what happens?

Zinta Aistars is our resident book expert. She started interviewing authors and artists for our Arts & More program in 2011.
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