Published in 2013 by This Land Press, edited by Jeff Martin, and lauded by The Paris Review as “the literary equivalent of a high-wire act,” Imaginary Oklahoma is a collection of flash fiction stories about Oklahoma by writers who may or may not have ever been here. In 46 stories to commemorate the 46th state, some of today's most important writers, each paired with an artist, provide their take on "the Oklahoma of the imagination."
We're proud to bring some of these stories to The Pickup—some with This Land Press’ accompanying podcast episodes—to help you dream your own Oklahoma dreams.
It’s as if those first three lines had been wired into my brain. As if they’d always been there, since the first flutter of consciousness. The rest of the lines were extraneous. What more could one need after the rousing excess of that famous opening, followed by the later self-soothing appraisal, “You’re doin’ fine.” Not great, not good, just fine. I always found comfort in that lack of pretension.
I fixed midway between a soundless mouthing and a whisper. The lines didn’t hold up under the restraint. “O.K.” especially needed volume and emphasis. I stopped after three sotto voce renditions. I rolled down the window and leaned my head out. It would have sounded great out there. How loud, I wondered, would I have to shout “O.K.” into the wind for it to have the necessary brio. My mother’s voice was sharp, “Robbie, get your head back in. And roll that window up. Now.” I slid back in the seat. I didn’t take “Roll that window up” literally but more as another way of saying, “Don’t do it again.” I had no intention of doing it again. I formed my mouth silently around the words, exaggerating my facial expressions for drama. I kept it up until we reached the next town, which is when my father turned the car around.
