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WendySterndale.com
_Western Utah, August 2011

Corporate FIST

_ Corporate FIST is a dialogue-driven work-in-progress novella blended with essay. It will show how reasonable, educated, hard-working people respond when the world’s economic, social and cultural underbelly enters their steady work environment. One will take up humorous hobbies, one will act on rage, one will bury rage in ways they think is unseen, and one will go bonkers. Sometimes they will surprise themselves in their attempts to re-build their lives. The story will be primarily told through the Vice President of Sales, and one HR administrative staff member.

The story is set in a 50-year-old suburban corporation between in the in late 2008, a time of internationalization and widespread lay-offs.


A sample:

_ Paul bolts out of his office with his suit jacket swinging over his head. He stops suddenly, eyes widening when he sees Harikin and Barry, and the tell tale 9x12 envelope that surely contains bad news. He squints in Barry’s direction while moving to the other side of the narrow hallway, huffs out his chest as if getting ready to blow them down. Barry, shaking his head slightly, exhales, and looks to Harikin for action. Barry is only there as Paul’s official supervisor, and so must be present as Paul gets laid off.

Paul, angles his body towards the narrow gap between Harikin and the wall, “Howdy boys. Gotta run. Off to propose another million dollar deal and generate some good news out of this godforsaken day.”

Harikin, aware of the exaggeration is frustrated to start this conversation in the hallway. He waves the envelope at eye-level. “Paul, you know what's going on here. You have no more responsibilities with and to this company. You will not be leaving for an appointment. You no longer have an appointment. As of this moment, your relationship with Financial Institute of Spreadsheet Totals is severed.”

__*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A Work in Progress

Contact Wendy Sterndale:     ws(at)wendysterndale(dot)com