Short Stories

Put on Your New Shoes
Do you think 1980s pop star Bonnie Tyler ever thought about the impact her “Holding Out for a Hero” might have on personal reinvention? Remember that hit song? (If not,

Mess Hall Blues
It was a few minutes after evening muster formation when it hit. My platoon sergeant bellowed the command to fall out, and as calmly as possible, I double timed it

Little Bingo
15 May, 1979… They played only once every spring. The squad from Bailey Academy and the local boys from Derry High School played just seven innings every May to determine

Electives 101
Quiet Conversation. That’s what they called it. Everyone knew it was really just a social hour, even the teachers. But that didn’t stop every eighth grader in my junior high

El Rey
Three days before my 33rd birthday, and I hustled down 5th Avenue, toting my briefcase. It was like most weekday summer mornings in the city. I had waited on the