Queen for a Day
I am fascinated by reality TV. I love the cheesy gimmicks and the faux competitions. What is better than seeing alliances made and betrayed, secrets kept by shouting them out? I […]
Snowballs
When my brother and I were boys we used to stand up on the hill by Mark Riley’s house and wait for cars to come by so we could bombard […]
Smut
Greg Palumbo and me, we were always looking for dirty pictures. Walking down Westlake Drive – that was the main drag in the little town outside of New York where […]
Bicentennial
Shortly before the nation’s bicentennial, a wave of graffiti washed over Philadelphia. Before long it came to the attention of A. Edward Jaffe. In those days Jaffe was still the […]
Monopoly –
When the rain came I decided to show them how to play Monopoly. They were so young, so inexperienced. I almost felt sorry for them. Can you imagine? Timmy (12) […]
The Stump
Lorraine and Kevin Bibby owned the largest tree in the neighborhood and when it split with a sizzling crack during a wicked summer lightning storm the whole community felt their […]
String
The brothers had been left by themselves for the morning in the living room of the Murray Hill apartment where their grandparents lived. The younger brother, Nicky, had been lying […]
Family plot
“How does my laugh sound to you,” he said, “does it sound tinny?” “Tinny?” She asked. They were in a coffee shop on Chestnut Street called Coffee Roasters. They were […]
Operator Error
Pacific Heights is a wealthy San Francisco neighborhood that brings tourists to see the huge houses – the houses of Larry Ellison of Oracle, Senator Diane Feinstein, the writer Danielle […]
The last gin and tonic
The three men were sitting in a trolley car that had long ago been turned into an expensive drinking establishment. Political figures were on the TV screen above the bar […]
Amnio
“Play you three for King,” he said. “I already am King,” I said. “You won’t be for long.” He gave me a long and taunting look. He had adopted […]
Riding Sidecar
Since moving to San Francisco I have become a loyal fan of Uber. But Uber is pricy and one day I heard about a cheaper alternative called Sidecar, the “People’s […]
Train
I was 20 maybe. Second-year of college. Home for the summer. I had a half-assed summer job and lots of free time. I was with a girl who I liked. […]
Foghorns
After nine months in San Francisco, I went to the East Coast for the summer. My friends said it was wise to get out of the Bay Area in July […]
The Defender is Guilded
“I am a very good lawyer”, she said. Emmy was nine and riding in the front seat of my car. The seat was sufficiently sensitive to realize that she weighed […]
Big league
“This is Jim Fitzgerald,” my voice mail said. “I’m looking for a Joe Doorsky. If you are him, please give me a call. It’s about Kensico Little League.” Kensico Little […]
Hipster
Eli said, “Jay Boy, you are looking kind of hobo.” Eli and I were standing on Haight Street outside a grungy store called “Robot Speak”. Robot Speak specialized in equipment […]
Reservations
My cousin is visiting. I should have done a better job of planning for dinner but she has comprehensive food allergies and I am lazy and so it is Saturday […]