Why the Corrida

Callahan, with the subtle grace and artistry of a writer beyond her years, paints a raw and accurate landscape of the criminal justice system in her debut short story, Why the Corrida. By placing the defendant Romero into the bull ring of the jail and the courtroom, the audience bears witness to the spectacle of the accused. As Romero fights for his life while the spectators cheer for his death, Callahan’s astute analysis forces us to question what type of game we are truly participating in when we seek to kill fellow human beings in the name of justice. Shirin Karimi, author of Enclosures: Reflections from the Prison Cell and the Hospital Bed