Planet X and the Summer of Doom
byWhen he gets better, Jeffrey Stacker says he’s going to visit Waco, pay his respects to Koresh’s fight against the Feds. He fires another shot at the computer parts we’ve…
Stories
Land of Enchantment
byI saw every dusty town from Abilene to Tucson from the passenger seat of our ’87 Ford Ranger. My skin boasted sunburns from seven different states. When I close my…
Regrettable Things My Father, Eugene Everett, Rhythm Guitarist for the Shivering Tommys, Has Done at the Circle Bar on Tompa
byThe building, said our mother, was like a breast: round, squat, whirling turbine nipple. An obscene place for obscene behavior. But the sopaipillas were good, so on weekends we went…
Hashtag Date Night
byThe sitter cancels, same excuse as last time. My fingernail catches the back-seamed tights I’d just pulled on as I journey back into jeans. I lay the snagged nylons on…
The Sledgehammer Game
byIt is August hot and the roof hasn’t been put on yet. Dickie isn’t the foreman but he’s furious about the delay. He makes one of his big scenes at…
Uncle Percy Who Art in Heaven
byTHE SUN IS GOING DOWN IN THE GALAPAGOS. Blue-footed boobies and penguins roost on the rocks by the sea where the turtles cruise through like underwater magic carpets. I got…
Histories My Brothers Taught Me
byYou were hatched, like a bird. The yard is a Confederate graveyard. Peter ran away. Mom used to be tan, like a sunflower, like a stick of butter. Pregnancy frazzled…
Ghostland
byI first noticed our family stalker on the same day Alice Hemper wet her pants. There was a commotion by the cake table where a dozen eleven-year-old girls had gathered…
Blue
by“Where am I today?” “You’ve got third base, Phil,” the umpiring crew chief tells him. The name ‘Phil’ is written under the brim of his umpire’s hat. That was a…
Our Little Problem
byI LAY ON MY THERAPIST’S COUCH, a pillow over my face. “Have you noticed that no one listens to what you say?” she asked me, her voice sympathetic. “Yes,” I…