Bleed Out

R. G. Gardner's own experiences as a product of a burgeoning Age of Technology in America inspired this short story. In what can be seen as a confessional, drawing from the depths of his own struggles, he critiques the illusion of progress and the hypocrisy of societal norms. In many ways "Bleed Out" is a manifesto of one liberal arts graduate's nonconformity; his failed attempts at artistic creation in a world shaped by standardization and loss of identity.