So I walked up to J and said, “Let’s do this.” I directed the hyper girls around the green giant and down the red velvet ropes. We walked a long way until we finally reached the backside of the food court. Even as far back as we were I could still see the Christmas tree. It was ok, though. A warm feeling came over me like a blanket and kept me solid. We joined all the others in a line that snaked up and down the huge mall – tons of people waiting, but that’s no surprise....
QUERY QUEST: Pretty Woman
My heart was pounding in my chest as I pulled Mom down the stairs. I couldn’t wait for her to see what was outside. There was more than one kind of medicine, I decided. There was the kind that you smeared on your knees after you crashed and burned on a harsh bowl and the kind that came in a pill that you choked down and made yourself swallow. There was the kind you got out of bottles and drank even when it burned your throat and the kind that pumped through IV tubes that were stuck...
QUERY QUEST: Save Me San Francisco
“Al – what’re you doin’?” Flint jogged up to me. I didn’t answer him but reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. I tossed it with one hand and he caught it. He was shaking his head. I picked up the pace and started to pull harder and faster. I could see Jabari talking to someone near the wall, a girl who was gesturing with her hands. He wasn’t watching me.
“Albie! The water is freezing . . . and that’s a shark, friend!”
“A...
QUERY QUEST: Glutton For Punishment & Possibility
Dear Bess,
Thank you for your patience while I read your novel NOW AND AT THE HOUR. Your writing is vivid and your connection to the storyline gives it a real sense of urgency. I also really like the San Francisco setting.
That said, I’m afraid I didn’t connect with the writing the way I’d hoped to . . . I’m sorry this isn’t the right fit for us and I am sure you’ll be snapped up by an agent savvier than...
Offer Hope to Woodscape Families
A recent three-alarm fire at Woodscape Apartments in Charlotte left 41 families homeless. MeckMin notes that of the 139 people affected, 94% are low income and 37 are children.
This has been a completely devastating situation.
The Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice is raising money through August 7th to help secure new housing and replace personal items. All funds...
Republican Friends: Please break up with him
I need you to hear me out even though you may not like what I’m going to say. The thing is, I really care about you. I know his crew is constantly telling you otherwise, when they catch a breath from their incessant trashing of my concerns and me, but it’s the truth. It would be so much easier not to get into this. But I just can’t let it go.
Tripping Out
We are passing glorious painted fans and other exotic decorations in the windows as we climb one of the famed hills in beautiful San Francisco. Dragons and silk shirts and menacing swords greet us from every store front, and delicious unfamiliar smells waft from endless inviting restaurants. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. Unfortunately, my moment of zen is short-lived.
“When are we going to GET there?” my six year old whines, displaying a recent and disturbing regression...
Guardian Girlfriend
It amazes me how many times Sheri has intersected with my life to set me straight. There was that time waiting in line for official copies of my kids’ birth certificates, because I had totally screwed up our passport renewal appointment and had to start over. Oh, I was hot. While standing there and scrolling through my phone I landed on an old voicemail message from her, and my heart skipped a beat.
I hit play and cupped the phone to my ear. And then listened to the most glorious...
Bring Home A Souper Bowl WIN!
Want to be part of a winning team in Charlotte this Super Bowl season? Consider yourself drafted to play in the Souper Bowl of Caring, a national movement to address the needs of our neighbors who are struggling with hunger.
LSL/Liberal As A Second Language on Huffington Post!
The following essay about a liberal trying to make sense of North Carolina’s House Bill 2 currently appears on The Huffington Post:
Earlier this summer I read that a group of liberals and conservatives called the North Carolina Leadership Forum met to try to engage in respectful debate around important issues that affect citizens in this state....