Melt. –a guest post by Desiree Gaul
I am so excited to share this lovely tale. Enjoy this guest post from my friend and former student, Desiree Gaul. * The evening mist under the streetlamp highlights her … Continue reading
Potential (and Shelf Life)
Over there [in America] you think of nothing but becoming President of the United States some day. Potentially every man is Presidential timber. -Henry Miller. Tropic of Cancer.
The Task Bandit
The little old man wears a beige outdoor jacket, adorned with many pockets, loops, toggles. He counts his aspirins in a small plastic bag, takes off his shoes, pulls on … Continue reading
In-Flight Entertainment
The flight was half Coloradoans catching the first leg of a trip to the US, and half Icelanders heading home after a tour in Germany. I had been trying to … Continue reading
PTI. The Chicken Truck
Novi Sad, Part II on Monday. First, this chicken truck in Grünwald, Germany and a line from the brilliant Flannery O’Connor. This is on my mind today. * Blick’s Feed … Continue reading
The Beloved
It’s an ordinary stoplight. Everyone waiting for permission to move on. And the blonde dog shivers, always nervous to ride in the car, even after an adventurous walk through the … Continue reading
There’s No Place Like The Last
Basically, like nine-tenths of humanity, I always wanted to be somewhere else, in the place I have just fled from. -Thomas Bernhard. Wittgenstein’s Nephew.
This is Grimm
The movies are onto the search, but they screw it up. The search always ends in despair. They like to show a fellow coming to himself in a strange place–but … Continue reading
Hand-Holding, Skeletons, and Snacks
Whenever I remember that I have a skeleton, I get a wave of anxious queasiness. In science classrooms, I would cringe at the bleached construction of what allegedly resides under … Continue reading
Safe and Sorry
An elderly woman in a headscarf lined up the start of YMCA, arms outstretched, but there was no one else to finish the chorus. Preparing for the 2 am flight … Continue reading
The Rush
In Kreutzberg, on a street of hip shops and Indian restaurants and postcard stands, a young boy with wavy brown hair hurries down the street. In winter, the sidewalks are … Continue reading
The Bold and the Apprehensive
The couple boarded the plane extremely late and toting five carry-on bags between them. The flight crew looked the other way. He opened nearly every overhead compartment in their section … Continue reading
Staring Contest
From the back of her head she seemed too young to be mother of those two children. The mother pulled her daughter close and studied some food residue on the … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 