Stories of Suspense with a Sense of Humor
Here is a short, true story: I am four years old and just finished washing myself in the bathtub like a big boy. I watch the whirlpool at the drain and, when it’s all gone, I step out of the tub dripping wet and towel myself dry. Mom has left clean jockey shorts for me. … Read more
Fulton Avenue in Cleveland runs along the top of the hill overlooking the valley carved by Old Man Creek. There’s a fence in the brush at the top of that hill, and my father found a hole in that fence. I don’t remember how he found it, or if he heard about it from some … Read more
Broken systems have been on my mind of late—transportation, public health, safety—which reminded me of my father and his system for cars. He had a penchant for cheap, used cars. His favorites were both cheap and used. His heyday for crappy cars were the 1960s through the 1980s, a period when even new cars were … Read more
Last week, I was at the box office of the Miller Auditorium picking up my tickets and the guy at the next window was pissed. “I spent three-hundred dollars,” he boomed at the young woman on the other side of the window. “What do I get for three-hundred dollars?” She shrugged. It was like a … Read more
Grade schoolers are malleable. In fourth grade, the music teach put anyone interested in band through an assessment to determine what instrument they should play. Most of the girls were told to play flute, while most of the boys were told to play trombone. Mr. Duck, the band director, said it was because of our … Read more