Heartbreak, Hunger, and Two Counts of Humanity

By Leryl Joseph

“Two Halves, One Heart,” “Fury Stew,” “Mantra,” and “Meanwhile, During an Art Heist” are from Leryl Joseph’s short story collection, HEARTBREAK, HUNGER, AND TWO COUNTS OF HUMANITY.

In “Two Halves, One Heart” Mat, a heart wakes up to find herself broken into two pieces. Since love and all its ups and downs are par for the course as a heart, she knows what she has to do. Although Mat has experienced heartbreak before, something about this one is different. Her other half introduces himself as Juan and changes everything. Because of Juan, Mat is faced with decisions she never thought she’d have to make.

In “Fury Stew” we find Leah in a meeting that could have been an email. All Leah wants is for the meeting to end so she can eat, but it seems as though no one shares her concerns. Through interruptions, discussions, and moments of disbelief, Leah fights her hunger and anger to keep both under control by trying everything she can to move the meeting to close. As the time ticks on and her stomach continues to growl, her resolve continues to fade, and she doesn’t know how much longer she can hold on.

“Mantra” shows us a man unraveling. Ian wants to see his son, but it’s clear that something is amiss. His nervous tics and the high-pressure situation bring him close to a dangerous edge. As he paces the hotel room floors, he tries to keep a level head as he speaks to Joyce, his son’s grandmother. Apologies and pleadings eagerly fall from his lips, but their effect on Joyce is unclear... Until they’re not.

In “Meanwhile, During an Art Heist,” there is a thief on the run. Calvin runs through the streets with stolen dinner in one hand, shame on his mind, but determination in his heart. He just wants to get this food to his sister so she can eat. Stealing wasn’t his first choice, but something told him it was his only choice. As the diner gets further behind him and his destination is almost in reach everything changes in an instant.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leryl Joseph
• Release date: Apr 30, 2022

Leryl Joseph

Leryl Joseph is a novelist and essayist of realist fiction, science fiction, and creative non-fiction. She is currently earning a BFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University and has published a novel with an independent press and a flash fiction piece with Adelaide Literary Magazine. She works full time as a copywriter. As an alternate career, Leryl plans to become famous enough to controversially run for president.

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Heartbreak, Hunger, and Two Counts of Humanity

Leryl Joseph

Copyright © Leryl Joseph, 2021

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Info

Table of Contents

Two Halves, One Heart

Fury Stew

Mantra

Meanwhile, During an Art Heist

About the Author

Two Halves, One Heart

Her name was Matt.

Heart was a little too on the nose. Anyway, she earned the right to be named after Matilda because no matter what Matilda went through, Matt bore it all. No matter the feeling or circumstance—the good and the bad, the best and the worst—Matt was there channeling it, feeling it, fixing it.

So, when she finally came to, she knew what had happened. Once again, Matt sat in a dark, dank, and depressing room. The tell-tale sign of a love gone wrong.

She thought they learned from the last time. She thought this time would be different. She hoped, anyway. What a waste.

Every time she hoped it always ended the