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Transitioning
Today, it’s been a month since my father left us. I realize that aside from his birthday I now have a second date on which I will commemorate his life. My father’s death divided time into before and after. A month ago, my first physical reaction was a gut reaction. An invisible hand squeezed my stomach. But this brief convulsion of my body wasn’t going anywhere. I did not throw up and no tears came. On that day, when sadness overwhelmed me, the muscles in my face contracted as if preparing for a sneeze. Was my body expressing what my…
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Surprises in your published work
Who cares for the spelling of a name they can’t even pronounce? A recent publication where one of my narrations appears alongside the stories of my fellow writers was sent out to me on a high holiday. Yes, 11/11 is a high holiday. Where I come from, the Rhineland, it’s the beginning of the Carnival season. Returning from my home country, I found the publication waiting in my mailbox in New York City. After opening it I started reading. Of course, I read my piece first. Nothing more exciting than to read your work printed in a book. Aside from…
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If you can make it here…
It was the first week after I moved from Los Angeles to New York. I walked the streets to get a feel for my new home town. Twice as many people live here than in Los Angeles. Add the tourists and the number of people doubles to about 16 million people. I had spent a serene hour at Madison Square Park and was on my way home. It was a lovely sunny afternoon. A commotion and a few shouted words caught my attention. Crossing a side street, a young woman concerned herself with an elderly man who waved her away…
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New York City 101
In Los Angeles I went swimming. When I moved to New York I had to re-learn walking.
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Flow, interrupted
During Linda’s speech at the lectern his warm eyes held her attention like magnets. Linda only stuttered once, when making her essential argument. Later she notices him at the hotel bar and overhears him saying, “Sh-sh-she’s s-s-smart.” The other man giggles. Why does this stranger mock her? Her face in flames, she leaves. On the street Linda shivers. She turns to get her coat upstairs as he steps outside. “Ca-ca-can I help you?” Her heartbeat syncs with his stutter. “I am going for a drink.” He points at a neon sign down the street. Linda takes his arm, “I’m bu-bu-buying.”
