True Florida Stories
I think, but don’t say (because that would be embarrassing): “I’ll play mahjong with you, even though the tiles are confusing, and I hate feeling stupid. I’ll learn to drive, just like you wanted, even though I’m petrified I’ll accidentally hit someone.” At this point, I’ll do anything if you wake up … Read moreSticky notes
, not being from the mire but still in it,
make steeples of my hands, each joint wooden like
the inner ribbing, and I dive into the shallow
brown-green muck, and algae clings to my nose hair … Read moreNorth of south
The mechanic from the tire shop down the road who called me last February spoke a memorable, if eerie, line: “Is it possible there’s somebody living around here who hates you?” he said with a raspy voice … Read moreLife lessons from behind the wheel
Kathleen Pelkey is known to make kids cry. Grown men, too.
Some would consider it unbecoming. Others, endearing. It all depends on how you look at it — or rather, her … Read moreKathleen
I left behind a long list of teachers who despised me during my 12 years in the Florida public school system. Twenty-six kids sit under the fluorescent lights of a classroom, staring down at a sheet of manila paper. The Floridian humidity creeps in through the windows of our portable – a clever euphemism for the mobile homes that served as our cramped classrooms … Read moreThe Problem Child