Woman with Cannonball
byJonah studied American History for four years and came out of his degree still a patriot. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe that America had done some stuff that wasn’t…
Stories
The Lifespan of a Mourning Dove
byI was walking on 30th near Grape Street, where I live, and saw a man painting an apartment building all by himself. Right then I was thinking about how I…
Parakeet
byHe had expected worse. The inevitable letdown after Christmas, the dead parakeet, the New Year’s to come, everything that had happened. But it wasn’t bad. It felt almost good, even,…
Not of This World
byThe nurses arrived throughout the day, a steady invasion of Laiken’s privacy. At breakfast, they balanced trays of lukewarm scrambled eggs, cups of tepid green tea. Later, they’d come and…
The Eaters
byWE CALLED OURSELVES THE EATERS BECAUSE WE ATE WHAT WE WERE SERVED. Every final Friday of the month, we got together as a group to devour as much as we…
No Grand Passion
byAFTER I WAS ABLE TO SCREW MY HEAD BACK ON TIGHT, they told me I’d swam ashore. Finally, I’d swam ashore after many years living on K Street with the…
Sorry Ladies, Studies Show No Amount of Air is Safe During Pregnancy
byWE—THE CDC, THE EXPERTS, THE EXPECTING MOM BLOGS, the websites represented in your top internet search results—are sorry to collectively report that the only safe amount of air for a…
All Fading Now
byI HAVE NEVER SEEN HER LIKE THIS. She’s twenty-something, young enough to be my kid, and normally dignified, professional—always wears long dark pants and flowing tops, thick sweaters, bracelets I…
Disintegration
byWHEN GRANDMA DIED, THE FAMILY FINALLY CLEARED OUT THE HOUSE ON OSAGE. All the streets in that part of town were named for Indian tribes. She’d kept everything after Grandpa…
Together, in the Golden Hour
byBIGGEST ONE LEAPS OFF THE GROUND, shakes the house, bellows with forced levity. “You’ll never guess where it’s made!” Hair Scrunchie’s gaze goes soft. “So, the obvious places are out.”…