Butterball

This story was originally published in Day One, a weekly literary journal dedicated to short fiction and poetry from emerging writers.Syd Davis learned how to roast a perfect turkey when she was a girl. Now on her own and with bills to pay, she works at the Butterball Turkey Emergency Squad, fielding phone calls from folks in desperate need of turkey-prep advice. As she faces another Thanksgiving, estranged from her family and pining after her married best friend, she receives a series of calls that force her to confront the reality of her deepening loneliness.With turns both humorous and heartbreaking, Butterball explores one woman’s hopeful attempts to connect during the holidays.