Category Archives: Fiction

They formed a small, intimate, incompatible set. Like a family. Mundane/miraculous. Magnificent/toxic. They made a writing group. They found each other through their commutes. All rode the FS from San Francisco to North Berkeley, an unupholstered transbay bus that only … Continue reading →

Sandy became an actuary because he wanted to understand life/himself. Some folks follow a religious path, others are more comfortable with philosophy, and a few try the circuitous avenue of psychology, but Sandy was one of the rare ones who … Continue reading →

He’s brought back to his commute by the ring of a nearby cellphone. As common as they are, neither Sandy nor his fellows are inured to them; he watches as several neighboring passengers join him in locating the instrument and … Continue reading →

He looks 30 but he’s really 49. He has dirty thoughts all the time; they keep him young. He is 6’2″ and in good shape. He still has hair, and its dark blonde shade hides the gray rather well. His … Continue reading →

He speaks to me. Normally I’d have a book open as protection against unwanted transit chats, but I’d forgotten this time. I’d been too interested in how the fat guy up front fits into the single seat, in the (academic) … Continue reading →

The street scene becomes distractingly lively at Fifth. Tourists waiting for the cable car, street vendors behind tables and street entertainers on tiny stages, gaggles of adolescent girls in low-cut jeans and too-small shirts, fine-pored puppy bellies belting their prance: … Continue reading →

“Oh my God you look great … I can’t believe it’s you. Turn around: shit, girl: you’re a mere shadow of your former self.” Yeah right. What am I supposed to say? Thanks? It’s so embarrassing. I smile and kind … Continue reading →

Lilah’s dad was in general wonderful. He wasn’t sexist like her mom; he encouraged her at various times to aspire to philosopher or doctor or scientist instead of secretary or nurse or elementary school teacher. But he like Jamie was … Continue reading →

Jamie started their sibling battle. For no reason that Lilah could ever determine, he snuck up behind her when he was two and she was five, and he bit her in the middle of her back. She was sitting on … Continue reading →