I exited the funeral home. Outside, the summer sky was orange and blue. Cars honked every other minute, as they usually did downtown. The air smelled of gardenias, piss, and weed. A handful of my cousins were crouched behind bushes… Continue Reading
Your great-grandson Justin is coming over. You pull out the secret candy stash, hidden from your daughter who worries after your diabetes. Your hands creak and crack as you shuffle cards onto the spotless oak table Jack bought you. The… Continue Reading
At seven that morning, as she did every morning before work, Alma Day lit a candle for her husband and set it on the small altar she had made for him in her grief support group. Then she walked to… Continue Reading
I found the mattress on Facebook Marketplace. Listen to me when I say it was the mustang of mattresses. As plush as hugs from the Charmin bears. It felt like a world-class bowl of mac and cheese after giving up… Continue Reading
After excusing myself from the party and saying goodnight to everyone in the bar, I took the train to Gunma. In less than an hour I was threading my way through the back streets of Maebashi, head down to avoid… Continue Reading
Every day is a learning opportunity: what to do, on Yom Kippur in Chicago? Everyone else is still in New York; “But you don’t ever go to temple anyway,” I tell myself. You are a cultural. A non-practicing, non-religious, barely-believing.… Continue Reading
Sasha asked if I would take her trick-or-treating this year, and what could I say but of course? It would be a cruel thing to say no. It was a frigid night; I knew I should tell her to wear… Continue Reading
I opened the curtains. Charlie, in his giant recliner, flinched, as if I’d thrown a bucket of water in his face. “What’re you doing here?” “Letting in the light, bro,” I said. “It’s good to see you, too.” Charlie wore… Continue Reading
People know me as Reggie, the eleven-year-old boy that drowned a puppy. Ten years ago I was a guest on The Dr. Lydia Show. I typically get asked one of two questions about the episode: 1. “Did you get paid… Continue Reading
At 6:42 a.m. she steps barefoot onto the bathroom scale. In two months, she gained five pounds. She presses a fist to her mouth and pretends not to cry. Underneath the sink she keeps her special pills for this type… Continue Reading