I get a little thrill on the first of the month when I see Ghost Parachute post on my timeline: “The <insert month> issue is here!” It’s such an easy click though on the gorgeous artwork to explore the handful of new stories, finding writers old and new, and discovering a line, an image, an […]
nonfiction
The Thing About Grief
Last month, my son came to visit and was home for all of an hour when he received a devastating phone call, news that would send him into the kind of hysterics I’ve never witnessed. He was half shrieking, half screaming. He was punching walls. Hyperventilating. Pacing in broken circles. Mashing fists into his face. […]
The Thing About Loneliness
Loneliness is a trick your mind plays on you. It’s crafty and insidious, and it doesn’t like to lose. Loneliness is also a little bit scary. It’s actually a truth, not trickery at all. It both corrodes and guts you when you’re most empty. It laughs while deflating you, even when you had no air […]
The Best Horse in the World
Have I told you yet about Merlin? I haven’t? That’s surprising, we’ve been sitting here for all of two seconds. Merlin was the best horse in the world. He was mine for 14 years. He’s been gone now for 11 years, nearly as long as I had him. I still miss him every single day. […]
The Thing About Being a Human Being
Oh, the heartbreakingly tender weight of being human. – Ava Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness. – Seneca What we don’t need in the midst of struggle, is shame for being human. – Brene Brown RULES FOR BEING HUMAN (Handed down from ancient Sanskrit) You Will Receive a Body […]
Pen Names: Are They Really for You?
I was twelve years old when I decided to write. I pretended to tidy up my backpack until every other student in my seventh-grade AVID class rushed out of the door. The room emptied quickly, until Ms. C and I were the only ones left. “You’re gonna be late to your next class,” Ms. C […]