I wandered through a used bookstore where the smell enveloped me like a blanket. Surrounded by stacks of books so tall that ladders were needed to reach the tops. Shelves overflowing, unsorted piles, row upon row upon row. All of those books had been opened and all of them read. So many fingers turning so many pages filling so many minds. For every impression left, a scent absorbed. Oils, perfumes,…
She floated, enigmatic, outside of normal interactive patterns. It wasn’t due to a lack of congeniality, she just rarely went out of her way to pursue companionship. So I was the one who introduced myself to her. I learned about her innate proficiency at reverse engineering, and the passion she had for deconstructing things. In contrast, is my most prominent memory of Kristina. She would lie on her belly next to her pool, its surface overgrown with lily pads, place her lips to the water, and blow delightful, bubbling greetings to…
A few years ago, well, in 2002, I came up with the idea of writing a set of micro-stories. I’d taken some literature class that required us to keep our responses between two hundred, and two hundred fifty words, and I remember how challenging it was to make a valid, significant point, but still keep it that concise. It was also a lot of fun. I decided that I was going to make…