I was very happy when I first moved to Minneapolis seventeen years ago. I recall a sense of elation as I stared at the distant cluster of downtown skyscrapers while running around what was then called Lake Calhoun. I had discovered a place that felt like home, a new home without all the baggage from … Continue reading Minneapolis Skyline
Men in Black
My wife announces that she is going to bed and I tell her goodnight. “You guys should get to bed too,” I say to my sons who are lounging across from me on the couch. They groan. “You’re back to school on Tuesday.” The teacher’s union voted to end their strike over the weekend. The … Continue reading Men in Black
A Hole in the Ice (Part 1)
“A Hole in the Ice” is a short story I wrote before the pandemic started. I’m still ice fishing and in that time I’ve figured out some things. This season, I caught a lot of crappies out of Lake Nokomis that I filleted, fried and ate. It was a gratifying moment to see seven-year-old Theo … Continue reading A Hole in the Ice (Part 1)
Don’t Squeeze the Charmin
A squad car pulls up next to the apartment building I’m approaching. I nod to the two officers and they smile back. One of them seems familiar. It’s below zero out. “Well, I suppose you don’t mind letting us in.” It is the same cop. He’s a white guy with salt and pepper hair. There … Continue reading Don’t Squeeze the Charmin
Life on the Plains
Life on the plains can be very dull. You stare at the nothing sky, the nothing horizon, the nothing wind blowing in your face, and you wonder if anything can ever happen. You cannot imagine paradise because you were born into a wasteland. The land has been skinned like the exterminated bison left to rot, … Continue reading Life on the Plains
Recycled Memories
I lived in only two homes growing up. Some people move a great deal and know different cities and make different friends. My parents were cautious people and that made me a cautious person. It’s really not such a bad quality since children need stability. My wife nags me sometimes to buy a bigger house … Continue reading Recycled Memories
The Man of the House
My youngest son and I have a joke we share. Before I leave for work, I tell him he is the man of the house while I am gone. This started last spring when his kindergarten class was quarantined and his older brother still got to go to school. Now I say he’s the man … Continue reading The Man of the House
Ghosts in the Machine
Have we all become ghosts in a machine beyond our understanding? I've lost track of my passwords. What am I without them? Our technologies provide a flicker of shadow on the cave wall, a bit of light to let us know we still exist. So alienated from nature and addicted to our reflections we have … Continue reading Ghosts in the Machine
Dirty Money
My father kept essential personal items like his wallet and car keys on a shelf near the front door of the trailer. As a boy, my dad was something of a mystery to me and I was keenly interested in these things. He had a silver Timex watch. “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking,” … Continue reading Dirty Money
Hoop Medicine
My youngest son splashes in the lake with his mother as I anxiously pan the beach for Miles. At last, I feel a momentary pang of love as I recognize him among the frolicking, half-clad children. He is bent over, digging a hole in the sand with a shovel. Wait. I take a step closer … Continue reading Hoop Medicine
Crow City 