Minneapolis is famously known as the city of lakes, and while that may be true, we are also a city of bridges. I cross the Mississippi River four times each working day, and it is something I always enjoy doing...something that makes this place feel like home. My favorite bridge has become the Franklin because … Continue reading City of Bridges
Bulls on Parade
As I’m driving to work, I listen to MPR’s Carrie Miller interview people about taking guns away from police and having social workers intervene in domestic abuse situations. I have to say I’m dubious because I’m staring at a melted traffic light. We don’t seem to be getting much for the millions of dollars … Continue reading Bulls on Parade
Sons of Anarchy
I hardly recognize my city . . . because this isn’t my city. We have a lot of guests and I think we’ll all be very happy to see them leave. Many are well-meaning, supplying aid and food donations. Some are here to protest and mourn. While others came here to destroy or to agitate. … Continue reading Sons of Anarchy
Minnesota Burning–Part 2
There’s always peace and graffiti down by the river. I did a bit of fishing this morning to refresh my mind from all the terrible events. I wrote first, so I didn’t get out to the water in time for any kind of bite. But I got in some great fly casting and took some … Continue reading Minnesota Burning–Part 2
Minnesota Burning–Part 1
Back in March, when I learned about the pandemic's potential severity, I could not sleep. Something was coming. Something I could not control or understand. I panicked. That morning, I instructed my wife to shop. I told her to stock up on canned goods. I explained that no one was going to risk their … Continue reading Minnesota Burning–Part 1
Redcoats
The value of a human life is not diminished because there are seven and a half billion of us. Can you remember that scene in Schindler’s List when the little girl in the red coat ambles through the black-and-white rubble of a devastated city? She is that anonymous statistic bestowed with color, that rare … Continue reading Redcoats
Macabre Mailboxes and a Minneapolis Murder Mystery
As a letter carrier, I get paid to walk in circles. It is not such a horrible thing to stroll through the same neighborhood every day, although the job does get dull and the weather is sometimes horrible. Like any walker, I note the banal passage of the seasons. I had forgotten this collection of … Continue reading Macabre Mailboxes and a Minneapolis Murder Mystery
A Story With Wings
I just wanted to thank all my readers and extend an invitation to check out my story, "Wasted Meat," which appears in the latest (Nov/Dec 2019) issue of Gray's Sporting Journal which is available now at Barnes and Noble. I knew "Wasted Meat" was a special story when I wrote it, perhaps my best. Success, … Continue reading A Story With Wings
Roswell City Limits
My father died on February 25th, 2012. He was 67 years old. He had made an appointment to see a doctor that day, but the pain got to be too much and he ended up dialing 911. He had a perforated stomach that led to septicemia which is a bacterial infection of the blood. He … Continue reading Roswell City Limits
Remembering the Hobo Day Riots of 1990–The Skinny Kid Goes to College
I remember the day my father dropped me off at college. I was eighteen years old. I gazed into the mirror after he had gone and said aloud to my reflection, “You’re never going to make it here.” The room was spartan with concrete walls, a bunk, a dresser and a desk on each … Continue reading Remembering the Hobo Day Riots of 1990–The Skinny Kid Goes to College
Crow City 