"She's not my real daughter," the woman said. "She's adopted." "Oh," I said. "Well, sure." I didn't know what to say. Her adopted daughter had gone into the clinic and the woman had come over to chat. That's what I thought. I thought that since she'd driven this adopted child of hers to the clinic …
Things You Shouldn’t Write About
"Nazi! Slave owner! Child molester!" the man shouted into his bullhorn. He stood on the sidewalk. He wasn't allowed to come any closer. The man knelt beside his daughter, about 6 years old. "See that lady over there? She kills babies!" I sipped my coffee. I looked over at B. "I saw the movie Amelie …
Rent people.
I like to connect stories. A main character in this novel has a bit part in another. The characters live in the same town at different times. You don't have to read my novels in any particular order exactly and each story stands alone, but if you did read them all, you might happen to …
Winning is for losers.
Your application for admission...has been given careful consideration.... Unfortunately, you were not selected for admission to the graduate program... Way back when I worked for a bank, I won $100. Every month two employees' names were chosen at random. If those employees had the bank bumper sticker on their car, they each got $50. If …
Won’t you cling to my Valentine?
Valentine's Day 1993 I decided to cook. I'd been dating my tactophobe boyfriend since September and had yet to cook for him. Maybe if I cooked, he'd finally kiss me. I didn't believe that, but I wanted to. In the morning I went to a wedding. The wedding took place in the bride & groom's …
Enhance Your Writing
"I don't want any padding," I say. He looks away. He looks back. "I'm sorry. What are you looking for again?" I didn't expect a male salesperson for this, but I tell myself that it is no big deal. I'm a modern girl. And if women can be police officers and CEOs then men can …
Is there a wardrobe that leads to Publicatiania? (a tornado to The Agenterald City? pixie dust to Never Rejection Land?)
"I remember you dated a woman who lived there," I said. My dad was driving us past Orchid Springs a maze of condos behind cypress trees and Spanish moss. "She was from England." "It was one date," my dad said. I sat in the backseat with my child and husband. I wanted to say, "But …
Girls don’t start fires, do they?
Tonight I listened to people talk about fire--an escape from fire, an attempted suicide by fire, art made with fire. A few weeks ago, my mother-in-law's church was set on fire. I learned that over 80% of arsonists are men and that most kids who play with fire are boys. In the eighth grade I …
Don’t you think you should apologize?
"Your friend C. isn't allowed to come over anymore," my mom said. I was in the 7th grade and living with my mom for the first time. And we were living with a couple--a drummer and a graphic designer. I looked up at my mom. "C. said something inappropriate to S.," mom said. I looked …
Marta Bacon 