Recently, I have begun to incorporate some forms of storytelling into my practice. I am a visual person, not a writer in the traditional definitions of writing. But I do enjoy the dexterity and depth of writing as a means to convey both simple and complex ideas.
The following are a series of short stories published for the Thieves Like Us exhibit at d/p. For the past ten years or so, I've been collecting these stories in my head about “thieves” and all the things that may involve how such people live or more so, live with themselves. These are thieves whose crimes are not necessarily punishable by crime. Some of this “stealing” exists at the border or what crime or morals might be. I initially though of these as short films. I can see many of them clearly in my head. I can see the photography, the lighting, the actors and I already know the soundtrack. Almost. I tried to write these first as small screenplays. But this was very hard and I could not convey what I wanted to convey. I then tried to record these with a recorder and myself as a kind of storyteller. But my wife, upon hearing these, immediately told me, this was not the way. Thus, they have somehow ended up as short stories about thieves in a medium that felt for this moment, most comfortable for me.
I may publish these stories here. But I may not. I too am worried, somebody might steal these stories and make them their own. Which happens all the time. And could happen here too.
The Civil Servant and His Only Sin—
The Cat Thief
A Man, His Truck, His Fruit and His Thoughts—
The Tree Thief
An Older Gentleman and His Slightly Younger Friends—
The Loneliness Thief
A Maintenance Man and His Two Jobs—
The Double Income Thief
Penelope Richardson—
The Hope Thief
Two Men, Their Religion, Their Music—
The Christian Thieves
Allan Wilberton Garcia—
The Angel Thief
A Woman, Her Mother, Her Boyfriend, His Father and Her Nose—
The Recipe Thief
A Woman, Her Addiction and Many Monks—
The Virginity Thief
Won Jinsang—
The Tree Thief
Gail Hillian Gustafson—
The Stomach Thief
Yesteryear
Writing, Writing
Alphabetum VII
West Den Haag
2021
©2008—2022 Chris Ro