Lucy was determined to thin out the daffodils, or weed them, or whatever one does to two solid acres of ancient bulbs suffering from years or even decades of neglect, but it was still too soon for her to fully realize the scope of this project, an epiphany that might have dissuaded her from starting … Continue reading Morning Miniature 5.3.19
Writing
Morning Miniature 4.30.19
Lucy was glad nobody had been around to see her struggle to heft a reluctant 60-pound shepherdish mix into Bran’s enormous claw-footed bathtub. The dog was smelly, itchy, and filthy, and there was no way Lucy could tolerate her inside the house, sweet as her disposition seemed, until they got this business over with. Armed … Continue reading Morning Miniature 4.30.19
Morning Miniature 4.26.19
Animal Control was only a hair’s breadth from the county line. The squat cinderblock building lay in the shadow of a wooded ridge that blocked most of what should have been exquisite early morning sunlight; on the other side of the ridge was one of the worst neighborhoods in the area, now awash in that … Continue reading Morning Miniature 4.26.19
Morning Miniature 4.24.19
“It’s about damn time—thought you’d never call.” Susanna’s voice came through in fits and starts from the other end of a sketchy cell connection. “I can barely hear you….” Lucy held the phone to her left ear and pressed her other index finger hard into her right ear, straining to hear her friend over the … Continue reading Morning Miniature 4.24.19
Morning Miniature 4.19.19
Were you to wander through a particular grand neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, you might stop and stare in bewildered awe at the specimen trees there, old-growth trees. And in springtime the bounty of flowering trees would not escape you, the area’s signature pink and white dogwoods to be sure, but so many others festooned in … Continue reading Morning Miniature 4.19.19
Morning Miniature 4.16.19
Lucy woke from a deep sleep, disoriented but aware of light glancing off the walls around her, as if a person outside were trying to get a better look inside the cottage—could it be a flashlight? She lay still and silent, but her heart’s pounding was deafening. She chided herself for not yet having a … Continue reading Morning Miniature 4.16.19
Impostor Story: When Self-Doubt Comes Calling
"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" —The Wizard of Oz More than once somebody I hold in high esteem has openly conceded self-doubt. I don’t know why this should come as a surprise: smart, accomplished people are human, after all. One memorable occasion stands out. Near the end of my undergraduate studies … Continue reading Impostor Story: When Self-Doubt Comes Calling
Morning Miniature 4.9.19
Lucy waited patiently for the young bus boy to clear the table she wanted in front of the plate glass window, and then slipped into the booth, the better to survey the highway and the hilly landscape that stretched out beyond it. And here came the same waitress with the friendly face who greeted her … Continue reading Morning Miniature 4.9.19
Morning Miniature 4.7.19
Bran patted the cushioned seat in front of her elegant vanity and Lucy hopped onto it and handed her the brush. She gazed at Bran’s made up face behind her as reflected in the mirror, admiring her bright red lipstick, dramatic eyeliner, and the creamy foundation that now settled into her wrinkles. Despite her advancing … Continue reading Morning Miniature 4.7.19
Morning Miniature 4.4.19
Claudia could see clouds coming in from the west and felt the wind pick up, carrying aloft the rusty red clay particulate from the very earth under her feet; she could taste it, even, feel it in her teeth. The clay left orange stains in everything; she thought about that now as she unclipped clothing … Continue reading Morning Miniature 4.4.19
Sycamore Stories 