1Smoke "In sleep now I lean against graffiti, a smoke Garbo-cool in hand..."

1On the Run My entry for National Novel Writing Month, in progress.

11The Two Tickets "And outside the war cry of the eight o'clocks, denied entrance, went up like a great howl of rage: 'WE BOUGHT OUR TICKETS ON FANDANGO"

2Famine " I wonder if she sculpts perfect meals for herself out there, too—round, voluptuous fruits and loaves and roots—and eats the wet clay whole."

1August A short story that became the jumping-off point for a novel. Actually won a contest a few years back, but feels a little overdone now.

2Patricide A student kills her father... in a manner of speaking.

1Havana January » I spent a week in Cuba and lived to tell the tale. Multi-chapter work in progress.

Debating an Apple "Pare this new-ripened skin... apples were made to be eaten."

Passing Time with Magazines in Hospital The speaker tries to "save" the animals she sees in hunting magazines.

2Elegy of Joy to a Dead Cat For some reason, dissecting a cat in high school became an almost spiritual experience.