‘Why I Despise Christmas Trees’
— Reneé Bibby
Certain stories are like swallowing a box of razors—sharpness cutting as it goes down. Sarah Freligh’s ‘Why I Despise Christmas Trees’ is one of those rare pieces. In just one hundred words Freligh uses vivid description and spare dialogue to hint at years of generational abuse, love, and disappointment. We get just enough, the perfect angle of blades to know that while there could be so much more to share—more moments of sour disquiet and sadness—we are satisfied with the portion.