We were in the dark. I needed a place to stay for one night and my friend had an extra bed. He was on one side of the room and I was on the other. We were talking. The room had narrow windows, heavy curtains, and a low ceiling. I could tell where he was …
A Young Woman at a Wedding
The possibilities are endless. Right? 1. A young woman, an aspiring writer, goes to her friend's wedding. She has a nice time. She goes home. 2. A young woman, an aspiring writer, goes to her friend's wedding. She gets drunk, makes a pass at a groomsman and is rebuffed. She goes home and cries herself …
What is in a name?
"That's not the name I wanted," my mom told me. "We fought about it. Your father won." They were either going to name me after her and my father's mother or after my dad and my mother's mother. My dad wanted the former--Marta Irina. My mother the latter--Lara Margaret. "If you'd been called Lara, it …
What You Think You See
"You're that girl who walks around her room naked," the guy said. "What?" I asked. For dinner I'd agreed to sit with a friend at his fraternity table. I didn't know the guy asking the question. "You live on the 6th floor," he said. "Facing our dorm." The other guys looked at me. "That's not …
because it is awesome
How does a video like this make you feel? Bored... Connected... Inspired... Creative... Would you try something like this? Why not? Thanks to Dennis Cass!
Did I hear you correctly?
"Are you a virgin?" he asked. He was a 15 year old student. "Excuse me?" I said. I was 25 and a new teacher. I put the cookie I'd just picked up back on the plate. "Are you a virgin?" he asked. I bit the inside of my cheek. "Um, I'm sorry. I don't think …
Disturbing Sensations
The pain sent me straight to my knees. I rolled to my side. My eyes watered. "You want me to stop?" K. asked. I shook my head and got back up. "It's okay," I said. K. and I were 14. The stud earring she'd pushed through my earlobe had gone through only one layer of …
Celebrate Independence Day–Burn Your Book
"You should be speaking Bulgarian," the man said. A group of us Peace Corps volunteers were on the train into Sofya, Bulgaria. And we'd been talking in English. We got quiet. The man puffed up a bit more. "You in our country. You speak our language." One of us tried to tell him we took …
There Are No Words
I am 7 years old, standing on the dock, looking out at my father. He is waist deep in the lake and holding a fishing pole. The sun is getting low and he'll come in soon. I am supposed to be with the babysitter up at the house. I hate the babysitter. An empty lot …
Work the Room
The women were in the kitchen. The men were in the living room. It was a wine tasting party and I was there because I was related to the hostess. Otherwise, I didn't know these women. One of these women, an executive at Wal-Mart, was telling the other wives about how she screwed up her …
Marta Bacon 