2002 "Flash Fiction" Short Story Winner

        Reprinted from the Metro Times

Easy With the Hair

Ricky Kieffer was the biggest hair-metal rock star in the world when he went up the river for involuntary manslaughter. One night before a show, he'd used too much ultra-hold mousse on his brittle but chart-topping mane, and during an especially energetic bout of head banging, Ricky accidentally slashed his bass player's throat with his hair. During his sentence, Ricky considered changing his name back to Richard and playing no-frills blues guitar in clubs. Unfortunately, by the time that Ricky got out of prison, rock was dead. Luckily, VHI's "Behind the Music" was still around to ease the transition.