You had been pink and shiny from the scrubbing, but now, scabbed and itchy, and how terribly inconvenient this was given that you were holding on to the windowsill with both hands and willing your foot to grow another half inch so you could reach the balustrade and give your…

“I tried marijuana once. I did not inhale.” — President Bill Clinton “When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point.” — President Barack Obama Everybody knows you don’t put toes In your nose. Or a hose in your nose. Or bows in your nose. …

His lips remind her of liver. But she lets him kiss her anyway, knowing people are watching. She has become “interesting” and “hot” instead of the girl nobody wanted to date. She likes this. She briefly wonders why he was so sought after, with his too-round face and bulbous chin…

Marla Rich is too cool for you. No, she is. I’m sorry, but it’s true. There’s her style: Red hair with short bangs, dramatic glasses, an eclectic and colorful outfit, good shoes. And her house: Chock full of mid-century artifacts and groovy 70s swag. And her old career: A real-life…

Note: This was written in April. Things have changed since then. One red dot. That’s how it started. One red dot on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 map. The virus had arrived in Marion County. Of course we knew intellectually that one confirmed case indicated tens or possibly hundreds more infected…

The story will start like this: “All roads lead to the Pink Palace … eventually.” We will get to that soon enough. And it will end like this: Jack stayed quiet. But first, there are a few things you should know about Nebraska. Nebraska? Nebraska. That is, after all, where…

Chapter 1 Check this out: The Sleeping Oracle of Bhutan woke up. Chapter 2 42 years ago, on a Wednesday, Tuesday James surprised her mother by arriving on her due date, two weeks earlier than her Aunt Mezza predicted. “Shit. This child can’t be a James. They’re late for everything,” her mother announced from…

Before I met Jon Bernard, I was concerned that he might be shady. My sci-fi book club was holding its August meeting at my house while I was recovering from surgery and a new person decided to join that day, which was unexpected. …

Joanna Albertini is your Italian grandmother. Never mind that she’s in her early 30s and living in Oregon and her children are too young to have kids of their own. Her family calls her “Nana,” but they might as well be saying “nonna.” No, seriously. A small gathering at her…