Billy Gee is a fiction writer based in Chicago and Southern California. His work has been published in Maudlin House, Broad River Review, Gravel Magazine, and other literary journals. He is an Assistant Editor at Narrative magazine. After Hours, March 2024
Peanut Butter Balls and the Unanswered Letter - a finalist for the 2023 Rash Awards. The story of a father whose son’s near-death bicycle accident forces a confronation of old wounds tied to an unanswered letter.
Escape from Vacationland - a coming-of-age story about growing up in Maine where beauty belies a starker reality of insular and economic hardship. The boy experiences vertigo as he weighs the possibility of leaving home, a right of passage that is both inevitable and impossible to imagine. The story echoes with reverence, restlessness, and the longing for home.
Picking Strawberries- a poignant exploration of familial tensions and individual aspirations. Thirteen-year-old Joseph, relegated to auxiliary tasks while his siblings labor in the strawberry fields, grapples with feelings of inadequacy and a yearning for a life beyond the farm. His brothers’ derision and his sister Betty’s subtle support underscore the complex dynamics as Joseph oscillates between a desire to prove himself in the fields and dreams of urban landscapes glimpsed on television. The narrative culminates in Joseph’s unsettling initiation into his brothers’ nocturnal escapades, leaving him to confront the blurred lines between complicity and victimhood.
Flowers for Earl- an older man mourns for his younger brother who died at birth, who died before the narrator had even learned to walk. Simple, heartfelt memories of a mother in grief offer a touching glimpse into the resilience of memory and love for family.
Love, - asking ‘what is trust’, a story that traces the discovery of a mysterious note in Arthur’s hunting pants which unsettles Rita leading to their son Buck’s accident in the kitchen. The weight of unspoken grievances and love in a delicate balance that sustains family relationships.
For You, Dad, You - a son’s fragmented recollections of his father captures the complexities of their relationship through a series of poignant vignettes. From childhood memories of accompanying his father on work calls to the silent distances maintained during significant life events, the narrative delves into unspoken emotions and the enduring impact of paternal bonds.
Two brothers struggle under the weight of their step-father Mahon’s stoic expectations. Published over 4 issues of the online Mung Being Magazine (issues #31 – 34, 2010)
Chapter 1, Mung Being Magazine, volume 31, page 66
Chapter 2, Mung Being Magazine, volume 32, page 49
Chapter 3, Mung Being Magazine, volume 33, page 77
Chapter 4, Mung Being Magazine, volume 34, page 28