One morning before school Little Joe was sitting on a park bench surrounded by crows. Little Joe had a crush on a girl named Kathleen. Kathleen was a cheerleading captain. She had an award-winning smile and a multitude of impeccable physical features. But Kathleen was too busy dating Chet Farkus to notice that Little Joe…
To Joyce. Because of you, every day is Valentine’s Day. According to Tom Sawyer, nothing makes roses more colorful than a white picket fence. It’s why he got into painting fences in the first place. That, and because he loves the rhythmic motion of painting — up and down, back and forth. And no one…
He steps out of the car and runs to the other side to open the door for Rachel. They are in the parking lot of South Newburg High for his thirtieth reunion. Class of 1955. He’s hoping someone saw the gesture but it looks like everyone’s already inside. He almost didn’t get his invitation. June…
(Las Vegas) Santa Claus has won the 1984 Lifetime Achievement Award. He beat out countless others, living and deceased, like Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and that guy from the Coke commercial who wanted to teach the world to sing. Santa thanked everyone who made this award possible. His elves for making toys. Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer,…
Chuck Wagon was 14 years old when he told his baseball coach he wanted to be a sportswriter. It was 1969. The Knights were sitting in last place with no wins and three losses. There was Chuck, in right field, a target with horn-rimmed glasses. Suddenly everyone was hitting the ball out there. Realizing his…
Twenty Thanksgivings ago I wrote my first article for a newspaper. I called it “Thanksgiving is a Holiday That Needs to Grow on You.” It was 1997. My wife, Joyce, and I lived in a little apartment with our baby girl in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland. I was reacquainted with the story while…
Outside the wind howls. Snow falls sideways. Houses wail like wounded dogs. My city is a snow globe under siege. Luckily, I’m inside wrapped in 48 blankets. A man-made cocoon, warm as a bagel. Thoughts dance like Gregory Hines in my head: The band, Simple Minds, on why it won’t be taking the ACT this…
Monday, April 18th, 2016. 5:14 AM. I wonder how many people are up writing right now? Are they writing fiction? Perhaps something for work? We’re out here. Like rowers on the Cuyahoga River. Type, type, type instead of splash, splash, splash. Or whatever water sounds like when oars are pushing it away so the boat…
Originally posted on Writing Without A Cause:
Tracy Kidder writes in Home Town ‘how small a piece of time the living occupy’. In this instance he is referring to a place where a mental hospital once stood, now a mound of dirt covered in snow where children go sledding. This transformation is just one example…
The Shoes I sat in on an interesting case at the justice center recently. The judge was getting ready to sentence the defendant, armed robbery, when the lowlife said, “don’t judge me, Your Honor, until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.” Well the justice center is located a few blocks from a university that…
When I was 9 Dad bought me my first Sports Illustrated. May 3rd, 1976. Mike Schmidt was on the cover. We were inside 7-11 waiting for Mom. He was perusing the rack. I was right there beside him, penniless, my mouth watering at the prospect of owning that magazine. I had just started playing baseball.…
Whether you call it necking or making out, let Inspiration Point be your destination tonight. Inspiration Point has been the number one supplier of romantic green space for frisky couples of greater Milwaukee since 1954. A quiet retreat just minutes from Arnold’s, Inspiration Point is the perfect place for couples just starting out, or couples…
She sat on the cooler and drank cold beers in front of him. She had him sitting against a tree, his hands tied behind his back. A pit bull snarled within mauling distance. A gun, 9 mm, sat at her feet. This is what she hit him with, knocking him out so she could bring him…
Two men in paper hats clink mugs together before downing their milkshakes. “Today was some day, huh?” “You got that right.” “Still like working here, Nick?” “What’s not to like. I’m surrounded by food and nice people. You?” “I don’t know, Nick. I’ve been here 17 years. Do you realize I have never taken a…
“Don’t you ever check out any books beside books on baseball?” “Try saying that three times fast while holding your tongue.” “Excuse me?” “You said something sarcastic to me, so I thought I’d return the favor.” “But you’re like 8 years old.” “And you’re like 88 years old. Let me check out the kinds of…
I loved purple crayons when I was a kid. Loved every shade of them. Loved the way they smelled, even though all crayons smell the same. My brother and I colored pictures in the living room. He made sure to use all of the crayons evenly so one wouldn’t wear out more than the others.…
Seamus was 31 years old when he stole his first Big Boy statue. Drove it 180 miles south and dumped it in a river. It was big and heavy but no match for his pickup. He chained it down nice and good and took off around 3 in the morning. If anyone had seen him,…
