Ink for YouWriting by hand with a fountain pen, I go through a lot of ink for each book. Which means a lot of empty ink bottles that used to be…Jan 31, 20244Jan 31, 20244
Uncle AlWhen my mother was a little girl there was one hotel in her city that had a public access swimming pool on the roof. On really hot days as…Jan 26, 2024Jan 26, 2024
The EssentialsComing towards me is a hunched over very old woman slowly slowly pushing a wheeled walker with a large basket in front. As she approaches I…Oct 1, 2023Oct 1, 2023
Wet TruthShe smiled sadly “I just remembered something: He used to say he loved to take a shower right after me because the bathroom was always warm…Apr 10, 2022Apr 10, 2022
Smoked ShirtsI heard a great story about the Borrelli company in Italy. They make some of the best men’s shirts in the world, ergo they cost a lot too…Apr 8, 20221Apr 8, 20221
Published inJonathan CarrollThe Dogs of War — UkraineFrom a friend in Poland who can’t vouch for the story, but it’s great anyway:Mar 22, 2022Mar 22, 2022
A story that should never have been toldI told the famous writer one particular short story he’d written was a great favorite of mine and that I go back and reread it often. He…Jan 29, 20224Jan 29, 20224
Passing FuryMany years ago I wrote a short story in which the main character is dying of cancer. While walking down the street one day, it suddenly…Jan 23, 2022Jan 23, 2022
The Sounds That Save UsOne night at a hotel bar in Texas, someone told me the story of a man who for years made audio recordings of all his favorite sounds…Jan 20, 20222Jan 20, 20222
Chairlift PeopleSome people live like life is a chairlift at a ski resort. They stand in one place doing little with the days until the next moving ‘chair’…Jan 19, 20222Jan 19, 20222
Books for DinnerAnyone who likes to read usually has far too many books in their library but has no hesitation buying another if it looks interesting. I…Jan 16, 20222Jan 16, 20222
Maybe Your Guitar Knows More Than YouAn interesting fact I learned that could be useful somewhere in a piece of fiction, even if only as a metaphor:Jan 14, 2022Jan 14, 2022
Your New Year“No matter where we are in our lives we always have some options. We still have all our senses and our minds are clear. Those we love are…Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2021
A 2022 WishFrequently in the Vienna winter if it rains at night, the next morning everything is covered with a thin treacherous sheen of ice. It…Dec 25, 20211Dec 25, 20211
A Taxi FarewellI’ve posted this before, but we all need good (Christmas) stories around this time of year. This one is a beauty:Dec 23, 20212Dec 23, 20212
Assholes — Nature or Nurture?In my experience there are two specific kinds of asshole: the classically trained over many years, lousy youth/resent everything and…Nov 24, 20211Nov 24, 20211
Future You“I want to see photos of you not taken yet. Ten years from now, twenty. You with gray hair. Where you will be living then. Is there a dog…Nov 11, 2021Nov 11, 2021
Words From the Wise“Drink water from the spring where horses drink. The horse will never drink bad water.Nov 5, 20217Nov 5, 20217
Too Far From HomeA large family at the airport waiting in a lounge to board their flight. Their kids running around, making too much noise.Sep 27, 2021Sep 27, 2021