The hardiest sailors have sea legs for storms. They walk, not exactly easily along the deck, but like spiders with sticky legs that hold fast to whatever surface they can find. They scurry. But they do so only when they are sure they will make it to the place they are aiming for. It was … Continue reading The hardiest sailors have sea legs for storms
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The sisters were unwrapped and unwound at the door
The sisters were unwrapped and unwound at the door. A brisk and hearty maid helped them out of their coats, scarves, and hats, cooing as she collected the crisp, frozen articles from them. Arms piled high, she left, trailing a scarf as she went. Another maid arrived in the first one’s place. This one was younger, softer, with little … Continue reading The sisters were unwrapped and unwound at the door
How cold the night was
How cold the night was. The sisters bundled in furs, their cheeks rough red, as if slapped. They walked to the grand palace hurriedly, arm-in-arm, their great white clouds of breath trailing them as they went. “A carriage, Jane, would be prudent,” Bea hissed between her teeth. “A carriage is money.” “Surely we have enough … Continue reading How cold the night was
A Reader’s List of 2016 Books
I appear to be in a reading slump. A measly 15 books is all I’ve got to show for 2016. And of those 15, I can’t say that any of them stuck with me, which is why this year’s list isn’t a “best books” list, just a book one. So if you’ve got a recommendation, … Continue reading A Reader’s List of 2016 Books
As a young woman, the baroness had become quite famous
As a young woman, fit and sturdy with apple red cheeks, the baroness had become quite famous after a fashion for having climbed Mont Blanc with her new husband. She returned, flushed, wildly happy, and completely uncertain as to what all the fuss was about. “We were merely out for a long walk,” she said, … Continue reading As a young woman, the baroness had become quite famous
In Vienna, they sat in coffee shops
In Vienna, they sat in coffee shops filled with glass windows and wooden tables with marble tabletops, set with silver spoons and white linen napkins. There were ferns between tables and palms in the corners, long and leggy, their soft spikes reaching toward the patrons. Women sat in fur stoles, pearls dripping daintily from their … Continue reading In Vienna, they sat in coffee shops
As sisters, only one was beautiful even though they both looked the same
As sisters, only one was beautiful even though they both looked the same. Same eyes, same color of hair, same cheekbones and coloring, same shaped mouth but rearranged just enough to make a difference. It was the youngest with slightly plumper feature – bigger eyes and a bow-shaped mouth – that stood out. It was … Continue reading As sisters, only one was beautiful even though they both looked the same
The first time he set foot on the new continent
The first time he set foot on the new continent, he felt unmoored. Granted, he’d spent the last four months aboard ship and felt somewhat ill-prepared for the battle of land and sea in his body. The ship’s carpenter had warned him that he’d walk askew for a few days, head and shoulders against the … Continue reading The first time he set foot on the new continent
A sailor can spot a lander in an instant
A sailor can spot a lander in an instant. Their gait. Their belt. Their pants. All of them giveaways. A too-clean shirt. And there, in the eye, a flash of insecurity, of nervousness, a worry of being found out. These two sailors were smaller than the others. One just a boy really. The other, well, … Continue reading A sailor can spot a lander in an instant
On the Way to Being Lost and Forgotten
When I finished my last book, I immediately started on my next book. Even as I edited and polished, I moonlighted by writing down the entire plot for the next one. I could barely wait. I was Popeye. I opened a can of spinach that gave me boundless energy and strength. You should have seen … Continue reading On the Way to Being Lost and Forgotten
The Treasure of an Ordinary Day
For Dawn, with love There will be moments in this life that threaten to sink us. Dark and terrifying moments that seem to go on and on for days, for years. For too long no matter how long they last. That darkness can come from simple words, all placed together and ordered in certain ways that … Continue reading The Treasure of an Ordinary Day
Home Sweet Wyoming
Anyone who has ever driven through Yellowstone, or seen images of the Grand Tetons should know straight off that the rest of the state looks nothing like that mountainous, grand northwest corner. The majority of Wyoming has more in common with Arizona or New Mexico than it does with Colorado or Alaska. Once at the … Continue reading Home Sweet Wyoming
It’s All in Our Head
Funny thing, that brain of ours. The way it takes disparate pieces of information and like Play-do (the dough, not the Greek thinker), mashes it all together into something that resembles the truth but is in reality discolored, inaccurate, and smells a little funny.
Living in Our Digital World (with Chickens)
Chickens really do go “Bock! Bock! Baaaa-ock!” like in every cartoon you’ve ever seen or joke you’ve ever heard. I know this firsthand because our neighbor’s chickens make this very cartoonish call a lot lately. In fact, I can hear them right now bock, bock, bocking with a strange, urgent, panicky tone. I’ve learned in … Continue reading Living in Our Digital World (with Chickens)
Welcome to Left of Seattle
In Seattle, it’s easy to forget you’re surrounded by water. Even though there are bridges over it, houses nestled up next to it, ferries that shuttle cars and people on it, it’s still possible to forget that it’s even there. Stand here, in the University District, and look to the east to see Lake Washington. … Continue reading Welcome to Left of Seattle
