Paul Cresey, "Old Friends"

It’s December 14. Paul Cresey, author of Exit Strategies, opposes fighting, except in the Battle of Alberta.

How would you describe your story?

PAUL CRESEY: “Old Friends" centres around two men, Freddy and Cole, who meet under the auspicious circumstance of the Calgary Flames’s 1989 Stanley Cup win, then go their separate ways. Fifteen years later Cole appears on Freddy's doorstep on the eve of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final and asks him for an illegal favour—to drive him over the border into Montana in the trunk of his car. There are some people we meet briefly who have a greater impact on our life than people we’ve known for years. Is it time or experience that makes a meaningful friendship?

When did you write it, and how did the writing process compare to your other work?

PC: "Old Friends" is actually the oldest story in my book Exit Strategies. I wrote this piece back in 2015. I write everything the same way: linearly, from first sentence to the last. This one was no different.

What kind of research went into this story?

PC: A decent amount of regional research (streets, maps, city) and a lot of Calgary Flames history on NHL.com and Wikipedia. A few YouTube videos to get the exact transcript from the announcers. Otherwise, I drew from my own knowledge of the area. I have family in Calgary and have been to Ranchman's my fair share of times.

What, to you, makes the short story a special form? What can it do that other kinds of writing can’t?

PC: Short stories are a distilled emotional punch. A great short story is like watching a car accident; whereas a novel might follow every passenger involved for weeks before the event. Short stories ask more of the reader in regards to imagination, too, specifically of a character's past and future. They are the fill-in-the-blanks of the literary world.

Where should people go to learn more about you and your work?

PC: Their local bookstore to pick up a copy of my book!

What's the best gift you've ever been given?

PC: Sticking to the hockey theme, a ticket to watch Oilers versus Calgary for game three of the Pacific Division Finals last year. Did I mention I am actually an Oilers fan?

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