Funny the things you notice as a newcomer to a country. Halloween and its spooky front lawn decorations were a novelty for me. Some macabre displays in our neighbourhood triggered off the investigation on a topic that has been puzzling me for a while.

Having lived in Northeast FL a couple of years, I had never seen a hearse or a vehicle that could pass for one. People still do die, even in a country that worships beauty and youth and often delegates old age and death are to nursing…

Continue

 

It’s impossible to not notice all the signs, billboards and ads for the upcoming show featuring Playboy Bunnies. This has caused me a great deal of stress, not just because it seems the entire world is going backwards, but because it dredges up memories I really would rather forget.



Walking to my local village yesterday, there it was, the shiny bus ad, with scantily clad girls wearing onesies, bunny ears and poofy rear-end tales, smiling like it was fun being pawed by…

Continue

Scott Eubanks's short story, "Brood Parasite," was published on The Fertile Source on January 31. Here, he talks with editor Jessica Powers about what it was like growing up in a foster home for children with developmental disabilities and how that shaped his writing, in particular, this short story.…

Continue

I have never really understood contemporary architecture. I am not a minimalist. So when I leaf through a decorating magazine and come across a sleek city loft or a house made of steel and glass on a hillside, I wonder what kind of people want to live in them. 

I am envisioning very energetic and purposeful people. They have no use for frippery, clutter, or anything that could remotely be seen as extraneous. I see these people slim and stiff as ramrods, striding around their barely…

Continue

March 21, 2010





Dear _________:





We haven't communicated in quite a while, my dear. I continue to miss you though I try to keep it at bay and humbly move on.



I sometimes wonder why I bother to write you anymore. Not sure if you even read what I send or whether this account is active. I know why you had to close a door but its haunting to think I'm writing to thin air at this point.



I suppose sometimes it makes… Continue

My childhood was full of fighting, yelling, name calling and constant turmoil. My parents were polar opposites who should have never been married, let alone stayed together 'for the kids'. My dad was a good provider and kind man, but he had a 'weekend' drinking problem. My mother was just very unhappy, and that's what I remember most about her growing up. At the time I didn't understand why she was so unhappy, but now I do. I wish my parents had gotten divorced and been happy.



There… Continue