Fire in the Belly is a literary fiction novel narrated by Jonathan, a 19 year-old boy/man struggling on the streets of Chicago begging and stealing money for drugs. His life turns violent when he meets Victor, a wealthy malefactor who has become unstable over his son's overdose. Victor is obsessed with helping homeless men and women by forcing them into deadly challenges with a large monetary payoff if successfully completed. They rarely are.
Jonathan, the intelligent street-serf, and Victor, the grieving father with a brutally sadistic sidekick, battle in this gritty novel of desperation, grief, internal strength and love.
Read the first chapter (PDF).
The Perfect Enforcer
Published in 2004, this short story is still widely read on the Site of Big Shoulders,
Read the story (SOBS.org)