Dr. Gordon had ordered a CAT scan. MRI. Full panel of blood work. And now the wires on my head. All because I’d screwed Bethany Hollis in her stepfather’s bedroom. And then I’d done a real dumb thing afterward. “Stop picking,” my mother said. I kept itching around the electrodes. We were sitting on the …
We’ll herd the loved ones from the tents to a low fence to present a live feed of the mine courtesy of Prairie Vision, the TV station I own or, rather, used to own. I had to step aside due to a perceived conflict of interest when I got elected governor. My adviser Eddie held …
Rita came home from the war. The town was not as if she had never left. Some things had changed. The Taco Bell, for instance, was closed, but another had opened on the next street. The Church of the Passionate Blood, with its stained-glass Christ as slim and pale and sweet as a glow- worm, …
Associate Editor Blessing Christopher: Dustin M. Hoffman’s story straddles multiple timelines and seamlessly connects the past to the present. The piece highlights how the silent things we inherit can course through our blood unnoticed, to emerge in unexpected ways much later. Listen to Dustin M. Hoffman read the piece: Bean Burritos: to Eat, to Save …
National Pen Pal Day June 1, 2018 Think back to when you were a kid and you’d give the classroom globe a spin, stop it with your fingertip, and vow to move to whatever loca- tion you landed on. Recall how sometimes you’d hit the ocean and have to spin again. Recall that sometimes you’d …
Assistant Editor Leila Chatti: As the weather begins to cool into autumn (and, if we can imagine it, eventually winter), this quiet, attentive piece felt like an appropriate choice for the more ruminative season. “The Broken Leaf” is like a snow globe in which a miniature world stands in for something larger. In this story, …
Associate Editor Blessing Christopher: Tender and fluid, Koeplin’s miCRo explores faith and belief, transitioning smoothly from intangible concepts to a more corporeal investigation. Listen to Sydney Koeplin read “Witness”: Witness After dinner, you sneak under the hem of my shirt and lie with your head on my chest, the shell of your ear over my …
March 6, 2017 Well, well. Welcome to Catherine’s word journal for the MELVIN Project. I’m only a long-term temp (a “long-term temp,” what an idea!), so it’s an honor to be chosen. If I reveal anything too personal, don’t hold it against me, Doc, ’cause I like this job, even though it’s only for eight …
Our train broke down in the frozen heart of the taiga. At first we were startled. We had grown accustomed to the relentless presence of the engine, the way that it throbbed beneath our toes and thrummed through our veins. When we tried to rise, we stumbled and then tried again. How strange it was …
The man called first thing on Mondays. The clinic was open every day except Sunday, and the day off had nothing to do with God. Every week, Virginia unlocked the glass doors, wiped down the countertops, and took her seat at the front desk. She booted up the computer and waited for the man’s call …