flash flood

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the sound of rushing water. i check the side window.”uh, mom, there’s water in the gully.” mom’s at the patio door and surveys the normally dry gully between her house and the neighbours.”what? what it this?” she runs to the front door. there’s water flowing across the front lawn, effectively cutting the driveway off.  we’re … Read more

a poet has died

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A SOFA IN THE FORTIES All of us on the sofa in a line, kneeling Behind each other, eldest down to youngest. Elbows going like pistons, for this was a train And between the jamb-wall and the bedroom door Our speed and distance were inestimable. First we shunted, then we whistled, then Somebody collected the … Read more

the consecution of gordon lish: an essay on form and influence by jason lucarelli

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i’ve read a very interesting essay. i’m not yet entirely certain what i’ve learned. my brain is sizzling.  i’ve intuitively known some things about writing and this essay kinda reinforces them. i’ve known about repetition. and some of the acoustical forms. then there’s learning about other various forms of consecution–structural, thematic, and acoustical. structural consecution … Read more

last night i dreamt

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last night i dreamt i was an innkeeper and hosted a group of writers to a week-long retreat. i had no fucking idea what i was doing. i repeatedly came upon an aging poet kissing a series of older ladies in the parking lot. a golden boy writer eluded everyone’s grasp. perpetually drunk, young, female … Read more

Geoff Dyer’s Rules

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Geoff Dyer’s ten rules for writing fiction: Never worry about the commercial possibilities of a project. That stuff is for agents and editors to fret over—or not. Conversation with my American publisher. Me: “I’m writing a book so boring, of such limited commercial appeal, that if you publish it, it will probably cost you your … Read more

a hungry man

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there’s a hungry man waiting under the chicken-on-the-way sign.  he’s got his eye on a 5-piece snack box, fries and coleslaw combo.  there’s nothing finer than hot greasy chicken on a summer day. there’s a hungry man waiting under the chicken-on-the-way sign.  he’s got his eye on a 5-piece snack box, nothing finer than a … Read more

on the night of the supermoon

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i lie awake and think about the flood.  it is happening all around me.  helicopters flying all night long, checking the levels of the glenmore reservoir. dreaming, jumbled images of war. soldiers advancing across dark fields, animals floating down bloated rivers.  there’s mud everywhere.  i can feel the mud clinging to my bared feet.  the … Read more

the lido cafe

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i had the funniest dream.  i dreamt i was drinking coffee with Jeramy Dodds at the lido cafe. he kept stacking empty creamers into different shapes. the waitress’ name was mitzi. #whatdoesthismean

dropsy

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not long before my mom died, i took her to a doctor’s appointment in a nearby town.  the car trip was relatively short but wiped her out.  getting into and out of the car was difficult, as she had grown weak from rapid weight loss.  by the time she was finished with blood tests at … Read more

emotional truth

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the craft of writing is finding your emotional truth. i recently read BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter. what a book.  one day, i hope i write a book that’s even a little bit as beautiful as this book. in an essay included at the back end of the book, he talks about living and experiencing … Read more