About Me

I live in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. I’ve always been interested in books and the written word. It started with comic books when I was in third grade and progressed from there. I’ve had about 130 short stories published in many online and print publications. I hope to keep pushing the boundaries and exploring new territory. I’ll keep writing until I drop. I hope with this website to make my writing accessible to a wider audience.

Allen Kopp
allenkopp@sbcglobal.net

36 thoughts on “About Me”

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  7. I stumbled upon your website, Allen, while seeking a copy of Truman Capote’s “Miriam”. Here it was, waiting to be read. Thank you for posting it. Mr. Capote is this month’s selection in our local book club.

    My suggestion to read “Another Voice Another Room” was accepted in December’s selection. As I always do through each month, I learn what I can beyond the novel, about the author’s other works and life.

    I too am a writer. Most of my scribbling was done for newspapers immediately following my university graduation in 1980. While a writer for a PA county paper, I and my wife at the time, owned and operated a used bookstore for six years. We filled a shop full of personally made shelves with thousands of books purchased from customers and estate sales.

    Following the decline of the steel industry, we sold the store and moved to Florida. After writing for three dailies and two weeklies, I knew it was over for me, that drive for a higher purpose with words. Not another city hall, planning commission or school board meeting could I endure.

    Today, I am retired, and, at 64, continue to read. Regarding books, I heard it once said that they “grow in the dark” in the homes of readers, which is true for me, Hardback and paperbacks gathered so quickly, that soon I was selling them at the local flea markets, then online during the earliest days, before websites exploded with one cent books.

    God bless you in your endeavors, Allen.

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    1. Thanks for writing, David. “Miriam” is still a hot item with the public. It must be studied in schools a lot for people to be so interested in it. I think I heard somewhere that Truman Capote was only 18 when he wrote it. It’s one of his best stories. I’ve read “Other Voices, Other Rooms” a couple of times. There’s also a lot of interest in “The Daemon Lover” by Shirley Jackson. That’s another story where the writer got it just right, with seemingly minimal effort.

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  8. I stumbled upon your website through another website of scary short stories. I read all of those I could reach but bookmarked your site because it looked interesting. I really like your short stories, although some I really want more. You seem to set things in the 50’s a lot. I wonder if you were a child then. I was a child of the 50’s as well and remember when mother’s let children play outside unattended, when everyone smoked and even gave a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of booze for Christmas gifts. Your short stories take me back and have opened my memory bank to some very pleasant and not so pleasant memories. Sometimes it takes a nudge to open that door where we keep our childhood. Thank you for the nudge.

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    1. Yes, a lot of my short stories are set in the 1950s and before. Thanks for noticing. That’s the time I like best and feel most comfortable in. I don’t much like “now.” Hope you will visit my website again.

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  9. Hi Allen, after reading this fantastic article by Ray Bradbury on writing advice (http://www.openculture.com/2012/04/ray_bradbury_gives_12_pieces_of_writing_advice_to_young_authors_2001.html) I stumbled upon your website after looking for those “quality” short stories Bradbury raves about. You have a great selection of short stories by American writers which I’ve been progressively reading (I’m an Australian so these were never studied in high school) and I enjoy the content of your articles — the Pompeii one, as I’m an Ancient History fanatic. Keep up this inspiring site and thank you for sharing.

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  11. Cool site! My girl going to University wanted me to read’ “Miriam” she related to it. I have a few suggestions that I would like to submit tho you that were written in the 50’s or a little later stories like the bad seed. I will be on touch.
    Wolf Robinson

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  13. I wonder how many people like me were searching the internet for links to FREE short fiction by beloved authors and stumbled upon your website? And I wonder how many of them took the time to open the links listed in Fiction II? I must have visited your website at least five times, shamelessly reading the writing of Eudora Welty, Capote, Hughes, Fitzgerald, some of my favs. THANK YOU!! It was after rereading Chrysanthemum (I must have read it 20 or 30 years ago) that I was so mesmerized I couldn’t bare to leave your site and started investigating what the curator of this site is all about and now damn it I am hooked on Fiction II! You my kind sir are a master of short fiction! Right there with the best of them listed on Fiction I of your website. I also consider myself a writer of short fiction, with little acclaim other than winning a few short story challenges on rather obscure websites. Always hoping to improve my skills I am now studying your work hoping to draw some energy from your concise creativity. Genius! Consider me a fan!

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  14. Hi Keith,

    I know it’s a long shot but my story “Mounds Like Brown Camel Humps” was published in the Project ISFN Anthology #1. I noticed you were in it as well, and I was wondering if you might have an extra print copy you’d be willing to sell. I never got one and I’m trying to track down some old publications for my daughter, and I can’t find a copy of this anywhere. If so, I’d really love to buy it.

    Thank you so much for any help!

    Kevin Brown

    Reply

    1. That’s been quite a few years ago. Thanks for noticing that I have a story published in that anthology. Yes, I have an extra copy of it. If you’ll send me your mailing address, I’ll mail it to you. You can send your mailing address to me at my e-mail address: allenkopp@sbcglobal.net

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  15. Hi,

    I sent it from my gmail. I just tried again to resend by copying and pasting the address in case I made a typo. I might have done that.

    Thanks so much!

    Kevin

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  16. That’s the address I sent to. Did it go to spam? I’m not sure why it’s not going through. It isn’t kicking back as not sent. My email address is 5ivelights@gmail.com. Maybe it went to your spam.

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  19. Allen, just discovered your website. Don’t know if you remember me from high school – Barbara Hampton. I always admired your writings then and now your postings. Lived most of my life about 20 miles outside of Boston, now back in Missouri. Thank you so much for sharing your talent

    Reply

    1. Of course, I remember you, Barbara! At Elvins school. Lots of memories from back then. Thank you so much for contacting me! I hope you will continue to read my work.
      Allen Kopp

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  20. “Seven Eight Nine” is a good story. Well done. [And, of course, that’s why 6 was afraid of 7 — please pardon the old chestnut.] Do you accept submissions of other people’s fiction?

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  21. can someone help me answer this question “what is the clearest interpretation of the strange events in Shirley Jackson’s “The Demon Lover”?

    Reply

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