A Last Wave

Feel sorry for her? That’s a good way to ruin a teenager’s weekend.This is not the way, say, for an … More

Hardly Living

To be in peak health and die in your sleep, unaware of a painless passing, this is the way I … More

Roll Call

Bespoke? Where are you, Bespoke? I see you there, Bespoke.For me personally, sorry to see you go, but custom says … More

The Gift

You could not read the name of the store. It had been painted, who knew how long ago, in white … More

Down and Out

I’m working on the daily Wordle, my obsession, when my phone vibrates. At first, I try to ignore it, deep … More

Example

“So, I read your papers,” said Mr. Yang. “How many times do I have to tell you, folks, never to … More

Driving into Darkness

They drove all day. As the moon rose, under its glow, they could make out nothing but flat, empty land … More

Heavy Sleeper

“I’ve had to talk to you about this too many times, David,” she said. “I’m sorry, but you’re fired.” Mrs. … More

Hope

Memorization came easily for her, and at her first awarenessof this, she assumed everyone had been born equally able.As she … More

Passed

Someday, the old man thought, when I’m very old, someday whenthe migrating Red Teals soar southward over good old Milwaukeeheading … More

Experiment

I will create one body for usWe squeezed so close togetherYou’ll suddenly findWe’re inside one another No matter the nay-sayersI … More

A Colder Spring

With the coming winter we spoke far less.You wanted something more than us.I watched the new chill frost the air, … More

Heritage Song

We Koreans converge on Hawai‘i Theatre tonight,all bows and the scent of garlic-laced dinners, lots of quick head nods and Annyeong … More

Aloha Shirt Man

I’m sure I don’t have the largest collection of Aloha shirts in the world, but I do have the largest … More

Old Acquaintance

It’s been a long, long time since we three got together to drink beer. Each of us says that he … More

Violence

When he’d done something wrong, Jerry wouldn’t go home. “Wrong” could be a poor class proficiency report from school or … More

For a Moment

They’re all young, blonde university students,have an intelligent look, wear sweatshirts,NYU, Brown, Syracuse, places that requireacademic effort prior to entry, … More

Will you honor this price? he asks

In my record store days, so hard to forget the bad,mostly race-related incidents back in the wild Midwest,haunting me when … More

Being Free

I’m back home from my trip to Korea,watching the election returns, the right to vote,a cornerstone of our democracy, a … More

I Am Photo Man

If you’d ask me 20 years ago how I felt about phones,I’d have said something along the lines of them … More