New Story, "The Dream House," at Literary Mama

I have a new story, "The Dream House," in the Fall issue of Literary Mama. It's part of a novel in novellas I'm finishing up. Thanking Colleen Kearney Rich and the crew at this great DC-based journal for giving it some love!

"There will be ghosts, she realizes, lurking, waiting for her wherever she goes. The trick, maybe, is not to acknowledge them, to pretend to be asleep when they sit at the end of her bed, to keep brushing her teeth when they appear behind her in the mirror. To take her Valium until she's too tired to care about anything. And some ghosts, she thinks, she will always want to haunt her." 

To read more, go here.

"Pan-America" at Style Magazine

Thrilled to have short fiction featured in the July/August issue of Baltimore Style Magazine, along with Jessica Anya Blau, Elisabeth Dahl, and Timmy Reed: Pan America

The couple at the four-mile marker of the trail has the smallest Yorkie you’ve ever seen. It eats from a collapsible bowl under the picnic table as the woman offers you a drinking for the water pump.

“Hard to get enough like that,” she says as you curl your head under the stream of water.

You fill the plastic tumbler. The people who frequent hiking trails are super nice or super crazy. Sometimes they’re both. You consider this as you join her at the table, where she is spreading egg salad on wheat bread. Her husband, muscular, head covered in a bandana, repacks their SUV. To read more, go here.

8/9/13: New Story at Monkeybicycle

I started a new novel this month (because I am a glutton for punishment), and the first bit is over at Monkeybicycle today. Thanks so much, Jesse Bradley and Steven Seighman, for posting it!

Jill Hankey slept over, when Justine was seven. Jill, who would later call her a lesbian and suck off most of the boys in ninth grade, brought Tiger Beat and Seventeen magazines. Justine’s mother made French bread pizzas in the toaster oven.

“Simon LeBon or John Taylor?” Jill made what Justine thought were false equivalencies; shouldn’t Nick Rhodes be factored into the equation, or Liam from Kajagoogoo? “Ricky Shroeder or Justin Bateman?”

To read more, go here.

Friday Mass for the Dead

stannparrish.org

That woman who tried to sell us Hawaiian shirts in the gift shop of the hotel in Daytona when we vacationed in Florida in 1984 is probably dead. My third-grade teacher, I discovered, died ten years ago of cancer. I bet those old women who were playground monitors at my elementary school are dead, too. And the cafeteria ladies. Do you remember the lady down the street, the one we wanted to be like, with the honey red hair? The one who seemed so debonair for working-class Baltimore and always had a gracious smile for us kids? She died recently, and too young. My father has been dead for almost twenty years, as has my dear friend from college. My grandparents have all died. Sometimes I wonder whether the dog I shared with my ex has died, but I hope she doesn't tell me either way. Do you think the old lady who we gave a ride home from the diner, she was having Christmas dinner with her friend, and we offered to mail her holiday cards? What about her? I copied her return address from one of them and send her a note asking if she needed anything. She never responded, and it makes me wonder.

This Week in Letters

Dear village people M, C, and A,

These are exciting times. In these days of ever-increasing inefficiency, we have determined that one person can now effectively and accurately do the job of many. Because of this, we are able to offer increased cost savings to our customers and truly move our business operations into the 21st century. Although your services with us are no longer needed, we wish you luck in your future endeavors. Our parting is not a reflection on your individual talents. Think of it this way; we have not let you go; we have freed you to pursue other opportunities  For instance, we understand there may be seasonal openings at the Children's Television Workshop for your corresponding letter and would be happy to serve as a reference.

Thank you, and Good luck,
Y