It’s not a fair question if you ask me. — When I was in first grade two career options sounded appealing to me. I loved the idea of flying to the moon. I’d imagine myself in astronaut gear, eating astronaut food, blasting ahead into outer space. The 1986 Challenger spaceship disaster occurred when I was in first grade. All seven…

Tulsa, 2006 — Freshwater mist shrouds our city self this October morning. A bespectacled brown leaf water-christened at our feet. We startle when a bus stop stranger asks us for the time. Bravely, we say 10:06 and scuttle on. Witnesses to soup lines trailing city blocks, suits-and-ties cockroach- tunneling through the holey clothing crew outside…

A 1980s girl now grown turns into a swirl of vomit-angst-anger yet again the day Roe V. Wade is overturned, June 24, 2022 — It’s been a day. Another day in the United States. Another day in which I worry for the future of homo sapiens, specifically our children. Sure, there’ll be the forced slave race of unaborted children. The fear is in my cells. The fear is in my cells. I remember this…

From the college-observations introspection archives — The debate rages as Eulene turns her flowery muumuu inside out, outside in. Her large body swims in a royal blue coverup. Eulene ties a knot behind her neck and her fingers wobble as she unties the knot, zips up the dress to display hippie-style green and blue flowers, unzips…

In which food continues to be a magical catalyst way beyond hunger satiation — Two young adult adolescent Puritan sisters live with their strict church minister father in the film Babette’s Feast (1987), directed by Axel Gabriel. A young man, Lorens, tries to court sister Martina. Despite the love she feels for Lorens, Martina dutifully stands by her father, refusing the young man’s attention…

From the archives of the late 1990s-early aughts — Time speeds races races races red blur minute hands tread across the white race surface spinning whirling twirling out of control racing past the hours seconds gain on minutes the sharp piercing of a school bell wins the race ~Aimée Gramblin I’m fairly sure I wrote this poem while staring…

ProWriters dish in this 9 interview roundup — Do you ever wish you could sit down for drinks, coffee, or tea with your favorite writers so you can dish about whatever the heck you both want? That’s why I started the Creative Corner Interview series in The Narrative Collective. It’s hard to believe, but we are already at…