Published Short Stories

• “The Sewing Machine,” Quagmire Literary Magazine, August 6, 2023.

"The Sewing Machine" is an adapted excerpt from Through Winds of Prairie Dust. Here is a brief description taken from Quagmire Literary Magazine:  "Brenda Butler's story, titled simply 'The Sewing Machine', is a moving work of short fiction. It is a Depression-era story about a woman who is struggling to provide for her family amid the severe environmental and economic hardship of the Dust Bowl on the prairie. The story has been noted for its poignant portrayal of the era and the challenges faced by its characters." 

Click on the link if you'd like to hear an audio recording of "The Sewing Machine".

• “Uprooted,” This Land: Stories and Poetry from Ottawa Independent Writers, edited by Lena Sampson et al., Ottawa Independent Writers, 2024, pp. 279-83. 

• “God Have Mercy,” This World: Stories and Poetry from Ottawa Independent Writers, edited by Lena Sampson et al., Ottawa Independent Writers, 2025, pp. 87-90.

• "Fido and the Treats," (Forthcoming), Still Here: Stories and Poetry from Ottawa Independent Writers, edited by Lena Sampson et al., Ottawa Independent Writers, 2026.