I feel my chest begin to tighten as you speak. The words are rattling around my head but not making contact. I can't even begin…

Years ago I was sharing a house with friends. Lindy and Maica lived a life much different than mine. They were married at the time.…

"Could I see you in my office, luv?" If Jerry hadn't developed an ear for the subtleties in Sue's cheery verbal delivery, he would have…

My father used to take me on long drives to tell me things. Convince me of things. Tell me I needed to be nicer to…

I try not to be negative. I try to be positive. I try independence. I try to be encouraging and uplifting. I try not to…

Naked flesh. Chicken flesh. Chicken flesh with the skin on, with the skin off. Chicken undressed from its outfit of plaid shirt, denim overalls. Laid…

A flash of grey crossed her vision through the window. "Pesky squirrels," she thought. Sophie took a sip of her coffee and pondered the garden.…

Not long after we moved to San Francisco I became a member of the San Francisco Tap Troupe. Bruce had seen an ad at a…

Bull Johnson was a failed man. He failed his son, Billy; he failed his daughter and he failed his wife. How could he have done…

"Pay attention." The teacher's voice is clipped and sharp. The students' eyes are glazed. It's near the end of the school day and all they…

[Ongoing story: brother James has found Merrill at the motel after he's relapsed.] I don't remember James showing up. But now he's next to me…

When I was a kid growing up in San Francisco in the 1960's, I truly felt invincible, just like the gang I hung out with…