In small spaces between the veins of a leaf or the nervures on an insect’s wings, the space as close as the gap between nerve cells, a connection is made without touch. A minute gap is a junction between nerve cells a space across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter. Honey drips in…

Before I shake my older brother Milton awake, I eat all the food—a hard dinner roll and a teaspoon of peanut butter scraped from the bottom of the Adams jar. I set the empty jar quietly in the trash so I won’t wake Milton. He grunts in his sleep and I stop my loud chewing.…

I’d like to thank Steve Himmer for providing this Residency at Necessary Fiction this month. I had a great time, even though it was a scramble some nights putting together a postable fiction. The Residency prompted me to open lots of old files and scan through many notebooks. I worked on stories that I’d abandoned…

Bunny Yeager had a camera. Bunny Yeager had big ears. Bunny Yeager smelled of sawdust. Bunny Yeager disliked carrots. Bunny Yeager never learned to ride a bike. Bunny Yeager debuted at seventeen. Bunny Yeager rose at sunrise. Bunny Yeager packed one bikini in an ancient suitcase. Bunny Yeager shot in color. Bunny Yeager liked girls…

Marge almost runs over Homer pulling her car into the garage. Bart says, What’s shakin’ Santa? Grandpa’s dentures are stolen by a turtle and Grandpa can’t catch the turtle. Lisa has a dream about riding a talking giraffe. Maggie possesses an abstract, expressionless face. Reverend Lovejoy is voiced by Harry Shearer. Marge promises Homer a…

I. Your mother comes into your bedroom while it is still dark and shakes you awake. Get up now. You have an erection under the blanket. You do not move. She says, Go to Feller’s Orchard. Steal enough for two pies this time. Don’t take too many from any one tree. Don’t pick up the…

You are others more sentimental. You are a word-processor. You are a word appliance. You greet each new player as a fool. Deem each new experience a failure. The receptionist stared at the candy cane until she got vertigo, told you she liked your skirt. For lunch you ate the brand of tuna born in…

April is the cruelest girl. June, her younger sister, is, somehow, meaner. May, in the middle, is sweet, sweet, sweet. Oh, May. April. June. The Calendar sisters. April shakes her head no. April is a don’t, a won’t, and a never mind. April says, Not now. April won’t say when. April says, Stop asking. April…

The carpet in the dayroom is still soggy and there’s a sooty film on the dropped ceiling. They’ve removed the burned ceiling panels, exposing soggy insulation and bare electrical wires and cracked beams. The big room still smells of smoke. It’s early. Walt Williams doesn’t remember if he slept during the night. He wants to…

We went to the zoo. I dragged them all to the zoo right after breakfast. The first animal we saw was the gorilla. He had a fat body and a small head. His arms were long. His hair was shiny black but missing in some areas. He was not impressive, as far as gorillas go.…

Nothing funny about lice. Not the first time you get them and not the second. You don’t learn anything from lice. There’s not a lot to extrapolate. Nothing. And this is the third time I’ve caught lice. I wonder. Each time it’s been the curse of a stranger. In grammar school it was a girl…

The terms of my parole are intended to make my parole successful. The terms of my parole were signed by five members of the state’s board of parole. The terms of my parole contain one typo and two mistakes of grammar. The terms of my parole forbid new tattoos above the collar. The terms of…