Category: blog

The face of the world famous mathematician on the jacket cover loomed over the picture of Abe Lincoln framed in burgundy matting that rested on the floor by the bookcase.  Cyrus had stacked his used brown paper bags that he planned to shred next to his reading chair.  His compost pile was far too wet.  He rubbed his forehead and tried to think of the next line of

Serena put her feet up on the dark green leather sofa and leafed through her new science magazine.  As she reached an article about quantum computing, a cardboard ad fell out into her lap.  She figured it was an ad to renew her subscription until she picked it up.  “You’re on the road to nowhere” it read in fairly large Courier New print.  She turned the card over. 

Mine feels like this, but I also want to hear about yours.  Mine came out as a poem, but that is not required.  Just shoot for as much accuracy as you can. Finding my Creativity Take all your failures Mash them into every urge to screw around anyway Throw in a cross-eyed stare A stubborn lower lip, a tongue between teeth And lay it all out, end to

Leroy knew he had to go forward.  On either side of him the cement walls ran so close that he had to keep his arms from swinging to avoid scraping the skin from his knuckles.  Dripping water echoed overhead, and he sloshed through shallow puddles that soaked his Nikes and socks, freezing his feet.  The only illumination came from the cell phone he held in front of him. 

The cherry orchard was in full bloom.  Rows and rows of white-flowered cherry trees lined up very agreeably, both in straight and diagonal lines.  Dannie rested her back against a tree, closed her eyes, and let a grin expand wide enough to end in a chuckle.  Live was good.  She didn’t have to work today, she had a good book, and the sun was just warm enough.  She

Rhonda pulled into the A&W drive-in for a root beer and a burger, driving her parents’ 1962 Ford Fairlane.  Yesterday she’d quit her job on the assembly line after her third week.  Her father was furious; he’d gotten her the summer job in his factory– her first real job.  She’d be a junior in high school next year, and apparently she had no marketable skills at all. They’d

I would love to read some short pieces (nonfiction, history, sci fi—you pick) about some characters (you?) struggling with their smartphones, laptops, tablets, Bluetooth, GPS, programmable thermostats, TV remotes, Facebook, DVRs, Tivos, email programs, websites, windows 8, Macbooks, and so on.  Bring on the emotion! I heard recently that anyone born before computers is now an immigrant to the land of all things electronic, while those born to

Meaning, meaning, meaning, Janice thought, rolling her eyes.  Would Alvin ever think about the mundane, easy things like a nice miniseries on TV or a walk through Evergreen Park to look at the roses in bloom?  She reached for her latest novel, set in Scotland where the linen sheets were all ironed and scented with lavender.  Sure the characters had problems, but it all worked out in the

Putting a rhyme in your poem can be Quite a quest, but then why else are we Hanging out here together, jabbing words at each other Giving birth to ideas while the naysayer is smothered? We struggle to write out a piece with some meaning Then post it and know that our egos need weaning. So that is my challenge to you on June fifth. Please post your

Alfie is four.   He is standing in front of his mother’s full length mirror and sobbing because his mother is not going to let him come with her in the car.  He has to have a babysitter, even though he’s not a baby.  He sees how his face has gotten all scrunched up and red with his sobs.  He watches himself rub one eye at a time with