All stories
(for Damon Knight) Though Riley awakens only two hours after falling asleep, her alarm will not negotiate peace. By the time the coffee’s aroma pervades the kitchen, she realizes she will never shake off this hangover in time to confront the office smilers where she interns at Life Inc., America’s premier self-help conglomerate. She sighs […]
Bad User on Device Read More »
I haul groceries to my fourth-floor studio one landing at a time. My bottle of discounted rum, a 5 lb. sack of potatoes, and a rocket-shaped golden squash—so irresistible at the market—anchor me down like sandbags. Around me wafts the dinners of my neighbors. Sweat drips from my face and armpits. At my door, I
Just a Little Touch of Mojo Hand Read More »
This was part of my research for Secrets of Barrington Hall. They are dressed in Edwardian fashion. If you search around the office, you see many typical relics from the time. I like how there is a “Faces you hav’nt saw” on the bulletin board. Is there a story there? The desk in the foreground
Out in front of the band, art in motion, she dances, her rhythmic whirling mesmerizing me. The light plays off her serpentine curves, and I realize I’m no longer watching the Halloween show I paid $40 to see, but her, Felicity, once my son’s girlfriend, dumped for being too slutty.I’ve been in fap rotation for
A Contrast in Appetites Read More »
I’m so gay. For years I’ve navigated minefields of anxiety, carrying backbreaking loads of guilt like millstones. I’ve grappled with monsters: my mother’s rejection, my father’s silent disdain, and my religion’s promise of an eternity of torment. Those claws and fangs no longer instill my heart with dread. I am at peace. Ironically, it started
In Brazil they say you can make food fall from someone’s fork just by longing for it. Tatiane dismissed this notion, but only after thorough experimentation. Once certain, the failure became liberating, providing her with ammunition to sever the bonds with her clingy heritage. This need for cultural unfettering is real in America. Modern judgments
Forks in Motion (Flash Fiction – 500 words) Read More »
SantaLand Diaries by David SedarisMy rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoy David Sedaris’s humor. This story has a very original perspective on the holiday season. The protagonist is a Macy’s elf, Crumpet/Blisters, and – through him – we get a behind-the-scenes look at the business of manufactured levity. There is a bitter tone to
Elves Need Love too. Read More »
The Heaven of Animals: Stories by David James PoissantMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Very enjoyable. In these pages you will meet many troubled people, each struggling with the enormity of life’s challenges. They will make you laugh, cry, but most of all, they will open themselves to let you use their lenses, so that
A good collection of short stories – check it out! Read More »