CWO Episode 202: Running Shoes by Kenneth Kim | Fiction (2017)

Creative Writing Outloud

When we try to squeeze into the molds others created for us, whether knowingly or unknowingly, we set ourselves up for a lifetime of misery and unhappiness. Only when we begin to try on the skin we were born with can we move forward and live life freely. "Running Shoes" touches on themes of acceptance, self-discovery, and change. Seamlessly told from the alternating viewpoint of Molly's 16-year-old and adult-self, "Running Shoes" explores the banality of life's defining moments. Molly envies her popular ex-best friend and yearns to be accepted by others at school. Eventually her anxiety breaks her. When she returns to daily life, she discovers herself a little bit during a chance encounter in the middle of a social obligation. Kenneth Kim is a writer currently residing in Los Angeles. His background includes an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University. His acclaimed novel, The Superhero Memoirs, is a lyrical rumination on the mysteries of modern love, loss, remembrance, and regret. Download "Running Shoes" Today!