I’m happy to say that my collection of short stories, Sketches from the Hawaiian Archipelago, is now available on Amazon

An Old Salt

“Look,” my wife says, “they don’t go all the way under.” I see but am not relieved. “They lock you … More

He and Mel had been out drinking with the gang, but everyone else had pooped out and gone home. Tomorrow … More

He sipped the tea, sat back in his chair, and closed his eyes. You can always tell a good Chinese … More

His plane had arrived late. Too late to ride the party bus. Sipping his tea, he watched the old woman … More

He sat at the empty round table sipping watery black tea, wondering what had happened to those 75 years. Of … More

My store is in a part of Chinatown that has so far avoided the magic wand of urban renewal. Take … More

He despised children. He sat there in the dark to make it look as though there was no one home. … More

Like his Army buddies, he decided to attend college on the GI Bill. School sure beat dodging bombs and … More

The day— it was night the last time he knew – had gone well. The same routine since he’d retired. … More

He’d heard that phrase all his life, but never thought much about what it might mean. Maybe he might’ve been … More

When he came to, he was in the dark. Calling out and receiving no response, he figured he was there … More

“You don’t recognize me, do you?” She’s smiling at me, a good smile, the kind of smile that lights up … More

Sickest I’ve ever been. I don’t think anyone got annual flu shots back then. At least I never heard of … More

Last Friday, brightly believing that I’d now become immune to Covid because of finally receiving the first of two Pfizer … More

Since I’ve retired, I’ve looked for things to do to fill out my routine. One thing I’d never done before … More

The fire and the sirens woke everyone up. The sky was bright orange and red. I knew it when I … More

You can listen to me read this story: https://anchor.fm/lanning-lee/episodes/This-Is-the-Bondage-One-esm9oh * * * * * I said it was aiming for … More

So he’d ceased all criminal activity. Immediately. It was like being hit with a magic wand by his fairy godmother. … More

Maybe, he mused once, if it hadn’t been for marriage, he’d have ended up in prison. Once he met Beatrice, … More