All categories appearing in the diamond should be children of this category.
Although we’re a literary motor inn, we stand in solidarity with our roadside sisters and brothers, and when they leave us, it’s up to us to keep their memory alive. With that in mind, here are some Howard Johnson Zombies and where we encountered them.
The shells are … Continue reading »
Fans of True Detective should check out Nic Pizzolatto’s 2010 novel GALVESTON. Galveston tells the story of New Orleans enforcer Roy Cady as he flees from his former mob boss, but the story really shines in the relationships between Roy and the erstwhile nieces who accompany him on his escape.
After killing the men who were sent … Continue reading »
 
(originally published in Dew On The Kudzu on June 6, 2011)
I’m reading about the crematory owner, as my fourth trip to South Beach since my last great girl traded me straight up for a life of uncertainty comes to a close. The sheriff discovered bodies, stacked like firewood in … Continue reading »
(Originally appeared in Burnt Bridge)
Tonight, my girlfriend’s reeling off my faults in an auctioneer’s voice to an imaginary gathering of women, all also displeased with their boyfriends.
“Good evening, ladies. First up, I’ve got a boy who doesn’t share, doesn’t like to snuggle, and always argues with me when I’m feeling hurt. I’ll start the bidding at five dollars.”
I sit quietly … Continue reading »
You’re knocked out. I’m choking on nothing. That means a trip to The Cabinet. It’s just to the right of the kitchen window. Five floors up, I can see the Canal. The water there is so thoroughly contaminated it will take one hundred years to remediate.
I start by realigning the two jars of peanut butter, the ones from last year’s … Continue reading »
My dad always bragged about Newark’s Branch Brook Park and the great fun he had growing up in The First Ward after the war. There were many stories we tried to call him out on as kids but one he repeated involved a man who had mounted three metal drawers full of sweet potatoes on a cart and sold them … Continue reading »
ASHLEE/WENDY/MADONNA
I came home from my warehouse job one day in the summer of 1984 to find that, like her character in “Desperately Seeking Susan,” Madonna had busted into my creative house. One day, everything was in order and the next, she’s prancing around in my girlfriend’s sexiest, … Continue reading »
I was reading an article recently in which Halle Berry talked about the risk she took doing that controversial sex scene with Billy Bob Thornton in “Monster’s Ball,” the gritty, graphic film for which she won the Academy Award. The scene involved naked prison guard Billy … Continue reading »
Simone Weil (1909-1943) was a French philosopher and social activist. In terms of her philosophy, “The Gate” is both a poem and a central metaphor. Her poem, “The Gate,” describes Man’s journey to God, which culminates in Man’s ultimate inability to pass into heaven. According to Weil, it is Man’s true purpose in life to stand before … Continue reading »
I once heard someone say it is conceited to hold yourself out as an expert in anything. Label me narcissistic, but I cannot restrain myself from proudly proclaiming that I am highly skilled in hotel maid cart thievery. Once you have declared yourself an expert, however, I believe you have a solemn obligation to share some of your knowledge with … Continue reading »