"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 …
Dorothy shouldn’t’ve gone back to Kansas.
In the backyard, I sat under the kitchen window behind a hibiscus bush. The hibiscus bush grew up to the gutter along the roof. The space was a cave. One side white scuffed wall, the other side and roof branches, leaves and red flowers, the floor black dusty dirt. Jill, the german shepherd, sat in …
I’m dreaming, right?
Lots of writing books say not to start with a dream. They say not to end that it was all a dream. They usually say leave dreams out all together. Nobody likes to read about someone else's dream. Do you think that is true? On Thursday I told the school director that I wanted to …
500 wrong words
Can you write a 500-word sentence? 500 exactly. Shelly Lowenkopf mentioned a fellow named Barnaby Conrad and his 500 word sentence. I couldn't resist the effort. Janie Hopkins, her curves and wayward hair, waited by the Hamilton train tracks just within sight of the high school where her boyfriend, or the boy she hoped would …
Can’t you wait?
I listen at the door in an empty dimly lit hall. The couple are easy to hear. I knock. "R.A.," I say. I hate this part. The two of them stumble around as quietly as they can. "What?" the girl says through the closed door. "It's the R.A.," I say. This is my job. No …
And one more for good measure…
This is the last chapter of Drowning Karma I'm going to post. If you're so inclined, chapter three is here. Thank you for reading.
Another chapter…
Chapter Two of Drowning Karma is up at Lake Belle. I shall know go wrestle with my insecurity and other demons.
don’t try this at home
When a cockroach runs across the bathroom floor, do not think you are a gymnast on the parallel bars. The towel rack will come out of the wall, anchors and all, leaving four holes and torn wallpaper. You will hit the ground shoulder first. The stool you sit on while you fix your hair will …
Marta Bacon 