Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson 7 min @ Crafted “Never ever! Never not no more!” He puffed out his little chest, a mini barrel version of his father’s. The small soft feet slapped on the linoleum, the pudgy hands clenched tight as his eyes, but his mouth was widening close to the maximum. Any second it would be too late. “Tell mommy what she did bad. Talk to mommy,” Cate implored. But the Read more
It took a long time to wake up this morning which is a drag because I got up early. Even a brisk walk with the dog couldn’t clear my head. Even while getting through the day’s tasks, I’ve been chewing on the same cud of a question all morning. “is the glass half empty or is the glass half full?” Yep, that old chestnut has been stuck in my craw half the day. One doesn’t Read more
from the body of a personal email 8 min @ Noir coffee & tea Eight steps. Yellow door, red gate, number 1032. Ten more steps. Did I turn off the stove? Affirmative.. Twelve steps. Crack. Momma’s back. Eighteen steps. Stop sign. This way, that way, all clear, cross. They brought her back from the brink of death. It’s different when there were no lights. Voyage classified incomplete. Cross the street. Twenty and seven and curb. Read more
Perfect Pie by Judith Thompson 8 min @ the kitchen table, TO There isn’t much circulation in her legs. The knee highs are cutting into the soft flesh and her dress pants are tight across her hips. Stacey wants to get up and stretch but her mother’s grasp is surprisingly tight despite being asleep. Her shoulders are thin and pointy, dwarfed by the width of the hospital bed. The sheets, more poly than cotton, are Read more
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes 8 min on the Ossington 63 Bus (northbound) There was no sleep. Everyone tells you that. “Get your rest now”. As if you can draw from these squirreled away rations later. Little kernels of rest waiting to be cracked open. In Case of Emergency. You are cracking up. You can feel it. You feel it in the white-hot hatred you feel for the smiling strangers who coo over Read more
Garbage. All I’ve been thinking about all week is garbage. I just can’t stop thinking about it. ~ sex, lies, and videotape (1989) When I think about garbage, I think about clutter. Clutter makes me crazy. It’s beyond a sensitivity to it, I have a full-blown allergic reaction – paralytic wooziness. I can’t stop thinking about the clutter. It’s making my head hurt. It’s time for spring cleaning. Over the years I’ve condensed the process to Read more
The 42nd Parallel John Dos Passos</ 8 min @ Lit on College " I can tell by the look on your face I'm not what you expected me to look like." Morton remained stock still with that bug-eyed look that so irritated Mona. He managed a nod as he stepped back to allow the Guide entrance. " Probably didn't expect me so soon, " he continued. He was dusting off the hat brim the way Read more
Call me Ishmael. (Moby Dick) I am an invisible man. (Ralph Ellison) It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was a the age of foolishness, … (A Tale of Two Cities) Not all great books have a great opening line, but there’s a different thrill of anticipation when the first line hooks you. Having a great day is different than Read more