The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 8 min on the Yonge-University line, southbound The first night, not the first night as in opening night, that was still months away, but the first night of training Kaylie Belle went four hours before she found water and fourteen before she found food. She wasn’t allowed to use her cane and certainly not a guide dog. This week would be better. Camilla promised. By the end of training Read more
The Climber Room by Sam Lipsyte 8 min @ the desk, Toronto It was a curse. She couldn’t tell people of course, it would only make it worse. Not even her best friend. For now it was only the hair on her head. The witch had said if she didn’t broker the peace with her mother’s family the eyebrows and eyelashes would be the next. Most people in the park didn’t pay much attention to the Read more
No Wednesday post! Again?! The middle of this week was stuffed to capacity, an overflowing of sloppy joe guts in this week’s life sandwich. And the recipe didn’t allow for sides like blogging. It was an interesting day with the voices. They were a chorus of ‘shoulds’. The sane option was to mute them and commit to being in the now of the middle. The commentary could wait. It was a great middle; an actor Read more
Lives of the Saints by Nino Ricci 8 min @ crafted She was not well. Her skin was pale and dark where it shouldn’t be. She was not well and she was mean. She’d always been a bit sharp but now she was all bite and venom. Even her smile was a mockery of kindness. Although she genuinely adored the children, they were terrified of her. They did not trust the sweets she offered but Read more
She came into my room with some socks she found in the dryer. She stopped short, taking in the changes in the room. “I needed to change something,” I explained. She looked down at me sitting on the rug and I could see I made absolutely no sense. It was late at night after a very long day. In the short time we’d been home, I had moved the bed, the table and the art Read more
Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange 8 min @ the kitchen table, Toronto There was a stain the color of mud in the center of the sheet. Quickly, she covered it with the top sheet, making nice crisp tucks at the corner. She didn’t notice the pungent odor of the oil she slathered head to toe every night, and she didn’t notice all the sheets slowly acquiring a shadow on the left side. Her Read more
Long For This World by Jonathan Weiner 8 min @ Manic Coffee The boy sat on the Chesterfield, hands in fists rested politely on his lap. As she listened Mary looked over Carl’s shoulder, she was not sure if the boy was blinking. He rarely spoke but his blinks were a sort of Morse code. What did Carl just say about the psychotherapist? She must be careful, the slightest misstep and she was in danger of losing Read more
I’ve changed my mind six times about today’s post. The topic is was change. Ironic? Moronic? Maybe. Things are changing all the time. Why are we resistant to some changes more than other? Kei’s little theory for today: All resistance to change is connected to fear of the unknown, and the ultimate unknown is Death. When things change, the old way becomes obsolete. Something dies. And we are reminded of Death. And all our fears become Read more