"Graffiti" by Ben Brown



Lost in Translation (Random House, 2010)

"Graffiti" is a stand out short story in the anthology Lost in Translation: New Zealand Short Stories edited by Marco Sonzogni. I received the book a long time ago but as with all short story books I like to dip into it now and again.
   I was completely blown away by the power and honesty of "Graffiti" by Ben Brown. The author has crafted a tight tale about Tag Dog, a young graffiti artist who roams the city at night doing his bit for creative vandalism. It's easy to empathise with him. Brown has captured the young boy's voice perfectly. 
   This I think, is the secret to the story's impact. The plot is tragic, and the fact that there are so few characters means that there are no distractions. You get sucked into Tag Dog's world immediately and you grieve for him at the end.
   I'll let you know if I find some more outstanding stories in this collection as I go through it. So far the book has been good.