Carrying the Weight of the World
“God, if I ever look like that, shoot me,” you said. We were sitting at the new S’barro’s at the mall, taking a break from shopping for a dress. You […]
Category Archives: growing up midwestern
it happened just this way
I Have My Mother’s Eyes
I always think about you on father’s day, how you didn’t get a chance to know your daddy. He died when you were just eight. Your few memories of him […]
Cristobel of Tragicstan
She sits at the kitchen table drinking coffee and wishing for a cigarette. It was a stupid wish, because she gave up smoking for the last time a month ago. […]
Lovely, Dark and Deep: A Path Through Childhood
This is me, walking on the path that I used to walk to grade school every day – a small Catholic school in a small town in southern Illinois. The […]
Writing Down The Bones: My Tale of Anorexia and Redemption
It started when I was a thirteen year old high school freshman. I remember the exact day, in fact. I was in health class, taught by Mr. Carr, who was […]
An Unexpected Exodus
Something has been on my mind, something I read somewhere not long ago – I don’t remember where, maybe Nova, or one of the airline in-flight magazines. The article was […]
The Peeping Tom
One of my favorite classes in high school was World Civilization. The teacher, Mr. Hart, was also one of the high school wrestling coaches. He was a soft-spoken man but […]
Land of Lincoln
I saw Lincoln last night. Here’s my review: everyone should see it. For lots of reasons, not the least of which is the eerie way Daniel Day Lewis disappears into […]
The Fourth at the Lake
Over the past decade (my fourth), 4th of July has become less of a holiday for me, and more a symbol – it represents the midpoint of summer, a tangible […]
