https://memoirmag.com/nonfiction/ashes-of-american-flags-by-justin-florey/
Life with Fidel (Chapter 1 of The Skinny Kid)
My childhood began inside a brown, single-wide trailer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The décor was depressing—dark wood paneling, furniture upholstered in varying shades of baby shit, pea green shag carpet, and linoleum like a psychedelic hangover. When I reflect back on the Seventies, I don’t remember disco. No offense to John Travolta, but that … Continue reading Life with Fidel (Chapter 1 of The Skinny Kid)
A Mailman Remembers the Dead
The dead are remembered as they are forgotten because it is the rememberers, after all, who are dying too. I count myself as one of them. What I mean is that when you die people will remember you, but when they die you will be truly gone. It happens. Almost all traces of an individual … Continue reading A Mailman Remembers the Dead
Who Has Time For Moby Dick?
Hey readers! I see people checking out the blog from time to time. I wish I had more to say, but who has time for Moby Dick when the perch are biting? It’s a little guy, I’ll admit it. But if not for the picture, how would you even know? It could just as well … Continue reading Who Has Time For Moby Dick?
Treasures of the Mississippi
Wednesday morning I went fishing in the Mississippi River below the Ford dam. I parked my car at Wabun park and tromped in my waders along Minnehaha Creek to the familiar spot. Along the way I paused to drift my wooly bugger through some promising pools but came up empty. With it being late summer, … Continue reading Treasures of the Mississippi
The Bicycle Thief
Minneapolis, MN I’m delivering mail when a raven-haired woman on a bicycle emerges from behind an apartment building. She takes a quick glance behind, almost as if she is being pursued, and starts down the stairs. These are low, gradual stairs that I could go down easily with the wide tires of my mountain bike, … Continue reading The Bicycle Thief
No Mow May
Last week I purchased a new lawnmower at my son’s behest. The lithium battery-powered mower I had been using finally crapped out for good. I should have returned it the day I bought it because it never was worth a damn. It had some safety feature that killed the engine if you went over the … Continue reading No Mow May
A Hole in the Ice (Part 2)
Here's part two of my short story, "A Hole in the Ice." Thank god, the ice is long gone here in Minneapolis. In terms of weather, May in Minnesota is shaping up to be a much better month than April. The government says 1 million Americans have died of Covid 19. I tested positive on … Continue reading A Hole in the Ice (Part 2)
Minneapolis Skyline
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
Crow City 