man, falling

at the pool, there’s a man with a beautiful front crawl; each stroke flows effortlessly into the next and he breathes on the count of four. his turns are perfectly timed. at the end of the open swim, he ducks under the ropes, crossing the lanes until he reaches the ladder. that’s when the lifeguard … Read more

alan’s bike basket

“what you got there, Alan?” Sid says. he’s smiling at me but it’s a mean smile. he’s not nice. my Mom told me, she told me, you stay away, Sid’s not nice, and she’s right. my Mom is always right. “nothing.” i shield my bike basket with my body. i know it’s not a real … Read more

an argument

“let’s get a dog.” “we don’t have room in the flat.” “how about a small dog? we could fit it in, couldn’t we?” “but i like big dogs.” “listen. dog’s a dog. faithful. i ever tell you about the first time i saw you? your heels were too high and you were knock-kneed from the … Read more

top 10 books

here are my top reads for 2016. in no particular order, for no particular reason. my reasons for loving a book are divergent. sometimes it’s a premise, a tone, a setting. sometimes it’s where i read the story that means so much. i don’t know. i try not to think about it too much. because. … Read more

december 2016

i see them standing in the backyards of their shared driveway i see Ivan shuffling out from under the half-open garage door, the snowblower shrouded with orange tarp, piles of bird feed scattered at its clawed feet like black rice at a wedding. he’s carrying a plain, metal scoop shovel. i see Jane with a … Read more

books i read in 2016

The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh (genre) Toby’s Room by Pat Barker (novel) Night Moves by Richard Van Camp (short stories) How to write a sentence by Stanley Fish (craft) 19 Knives by Mark Anthony Jarman (reread)(short stories) NW by Zadie Smith (novel) Critical Condition by Patrick Finn (criticism)(partial read) The Quick by Barbara Scott … Read more

those fucking judy’s

i used to work nights as a charge nurse, 12-hour shifts. night-shift required training: a certain amount of sleep, a careful titration of coffee, and good nutrition. and when the acuity on the unit was high, i could feel it as soon as i entered the back office. inexplicably, it heated up the skin on … Read more