A sampling of excerpts
from some of my short stories that appear in various anthologies:
From Charmed Lives (Lethe Press)
Great Uncle Ned
by Joseph R.G. De Marco
He was dead, there was no doubt. He could see that from his vantage point high atop the dark armoire. Ned peered at his body thinking he looked older than his ninety-five years. Thin, white hair mussed and stringy; every wrinkle permanently carved into his face. Should have dyed my hair, he thought. And had that facelift. Could’ve looked ten years younger. He shook his head sadly, or what felt like his head. He wasn’t sure he still had a head in his present form, whatever that was; he had yet to see this new self.
***
From Men Seeking Men (Painted Leaf)
Adventurous Italian
by Joseph R.G. De Marco
I shivered as I walked; I kept thinking I had to be crazy to meet a guy I didn’t know. In his apartment. On his terms. He could be a serial killer and my liver might be his next meal; the possibilities frightened and excited me. I wondered if he’d be thinking the same things since he only really had my ad to go on:
Adventurous Italian GWM seeking to explore new worlds and try things I haven’t. Me: 5’6”, br/br, 22, clean shaven, well endowed, eager. ISO someone around my age, attractive and experienced, redheads a plus, your own place a must. Write care of PGN Box…
It was honest, even if it was a little spare. We had also talked on the phone; not that doing that guarantees anything. So, I worried as I walked. The closer I got the less adventurous I felt. Trudging through the slushy, snowy Philadelphia streets, I kept asking myself why I was doing this. Why this guy? Why not the accountant with a nine inch dick? Why not the actor who said his favorite sexual thing was sixty-nine? No, it had to be this one who claimed to be a mechanic and had a voice which screamed “SEX!” Why did I want a mechanic, even if he was a couple of years older than me, blond, tall, muscular but not too much, and enjoyed sex more than anything else?
The next three stories appeared in the Quickies series from Arsenal Pulp Press
Review for Quickies: “Quickies collects stories from established writers like Lawrence Schimel, Michael Thomas Ford, Michael Lassell, and Daniel Curzon, alongside new work by emerging writers….several pieces – particularly Alan Bell’s “Corduroy” and J.R.G. DeMarco’s “Enthralled” – are superb. Reviewed in Unzipped, March 31, 1998 by Tony Palermo
From Quickies
Enthralled
by Joseph R.G. De Marco
Simon was enthralled. He never imagined that his computer could bring him into contact with the type of men he desired. Two weeks before, Adonis II, the man of his fantasies, the man he had waited for these thirty five years, appeared through the online service. Adonis II, whose real name was Anthony, was an art-loving, poetry-quoting dream of a man. Italian, short, only 27, and in decently average shape, Adonis II was everything Simon longed for.
* * *
From Quickies 2
Arriverderci?
by Joseph R. G. DeMarco
Sebastian wandered around the ruins of the Roman Forum aching with indecision. Leaving Rome after two years of teaching was difficult, yet he could find no excuse to stay. He had found neither love nor real friendship in the eternal city. The sultry, dark, and sexy men he saw every day made him crawl with desire, but few of them had ever graced his bed. Those that did were either married or mamma’s boys.
He didn’t want to leave and admit defeat, but he had given himself a deadline and it had arrived with no binding ties to keep him here. Stumbling, he steadied himself against a ruined temple wall. He sighed, wishing to be as permanent in this ancient place.
***
From Quickies 3
Model Behavior
by Joseph R.G. De Marco
Two more nights. Then I’d probably never see Nick again. We were both 17 but I was a year ahead of him and would be graduating in June. I’d had a crush on Nick since his freshman year; all dark hair, green eyes, and Greek features. He joined the frosh soccer squad and I got a chance to see him now and then in the locker room. What I saw made me crazy, but I could never make a move. In my senior year, Nick joined the Model UN club and I followed right along. I was no fool; that group took week-long trips which meant we’d get to stay in hotels together. I wanted in. I made myself useful by taking the clerical work off Mr. Walen’s shoulders and convinced him to take me along on the next trip. Walen asked me to make rooming assignments and I was only too glad. I put myself in Nick’s room. Duh.