My manifesto to the world. I wrote big at first, until the walls were all covered. And when I needed more space, I wrote smaller words onto the larger words, using each letter as a wall. And then words onto those words, too, layering them like Russian matryoshka dolls. Words are like that – they fit into other words, and ideas fit into other ideas. You know what I mean. [Read more…] about The Meaning of Commitment
escape
13 Simultaneous Thoughts
They told me my head would explode. I didn’t believe them. Until I heard the ticking.
Since I was a kid, I could think about several things at once. I could be doing math, figuring out how to talk to the girl in front of me, and simultaneously imagining living in ancient Egypt. Teachers would ask me, “where is your head at?” That was hard to explain, and not a little embarrassing. But I was a smart ass, so I’d just point. [Read more…] about 13 Simultaneous Thoughts
Auctioning your Superpower
What if you could have *any* superpower. You’ve been asked that, right? You had a kid brother, or just one of those friends? What would it be? [Read more…] about Auctioning your Superpower
Cleopatra, Scheherazade, & the Deerchild
When Susan was seven, they were only nubs. Her mother, Marge, took her to the pediatrician. He performed a biopsy. He sent her to a specialist. The specialist deemed the growth benign, though unusual, and recommended monitoring and periodic tests. Marge took her to more specialists. They did every kind of blood work and scan in their arsenal, and tried some new ones. Two projections of keratin and proteins that were not cutaneous was the first assessment. It was like saying to someone with flu symptoms, “your nose is running, and you seem to have a cough.” [Read more…] about Cleopatra, Scheherazade, & the Deerchild
Medusa and the Mormons
Medusa had big hair – on purpose, of course. What would you do if a dozen of the nastiest snakes you ever saw were growing out of your head? You couldn’t just put on a wig. The only solution was do your hair up like that Married With Children lady – Peggy Bundy, and try to keep them quiet. [Read more…] about Medusa and the Mormons
Talking Your Way into Dodge
Our garden grows ripe and strong, even if the soil is bare,
around the head of Mrs. Long, that Daddy had left lying there. [Read more…] about Talking Your Way into Dodge
Forgotten Wash
A laundromat isn’t supposed to be scary. Sure, you might feel awkward being there alone late at night, if you’re a young woman and it’s in a bad neighborhood. But in general, laundry is a happy thing. It’s suds and bubbles, and clean scents, and warm socks, and washing away all the built up grime that soils your life in layers. You think about things like this, if you’re Maggie. Maggie thinks about what things mean, as much as what they are. [Read more…] about Forgotten Wash