The Bookworm Club: Part I
Cal Robert’s was either a genius or insane. But the general consensus was, “That boy’s crazy.”
I Hate Walmart
“I pass an aisle of travel mugs in different colors, and sizes, with Disney characters, Duck Dynasty members, motorcycle riders and flowers growing in orange and purple, overdosing in consumer excess and Walmart is the pusher.” I hate pulling into Walmart’s parking lot in Monroe, Louisiana, where I watch out for motorized patrons who carry […]
Tree Consumers
Trees shrug leaves like rusted appliances no one wants. New leaves grow without a discount they can’t recant. And see my recent review of “Coming Close: Forty Essays on Philip Levine” for Blue Lyra Review.
Medical Checkups in Sterlington, LA
Not only did I have to relinquish my California Driver’s License when I moved to Louisiana, I also had to move the cornerstones of my material world. I’m talking about car and health insurance, and was much pleased to discover that I had to pay a lot less for both. I really didn’t mind about […]
Hazardous Turnips: 5
The continuing story from Duck Dynasty country about a paper mill and the people caught in its hopper.
Mosquitoes Create Jobs
It’s been a year since I arrived in the northeastern portion of Louisiana, a wilderness and a wonderland to a northerner who has never lived south before. I’ve been introduced to crawfish or “mudbugs” and the proper way to eat them. This involves grasping the outside shell of the tail joint firmly with a thumb […]
Hazardous Turnips: 4
“…she was short on sleep and in no mood for bad news.” There was no other way to tell her except for straight out. “Was the whole crew laid off?” “They said they needed a more experienced operator.” “Who said?” Since the baby had arrived, Judy was short on sleep and in no mood for […]
Hazardous Turnips: 3
“There you are. I thought maybe you went home to plant watermelons.” Mark climbed out of a truck. “What’s bugging you? You told me to check the readings. I did.” “Great. So what does it look like at the ponds today?” “Slime and black pockets of water. It stinks to high heaven.” Rotten eggs. The […]
Hazardous Turnips: 2
Jay hurried to the finishing area, glad it was getting warmer and that he didn’t need to freeze his buns off working outside. Over these last six months, he’d watched Bryan change from a cheery guy who was always excited about his daughter, to a man who looked like his mother had died in a […]
Hazardous Turnips:1
At the end of July, the turnips were lush. They grew alongside the entrance to the plant, bright green fronds waving in the afternoon heat like feathers of a peacock’s tail. Bryan Thurmond had seen dozens of peacocks in the parking lot of the zoo where he drove Jenny, his daughter, to volunteer—peacocks strutting like […]