Short Stories

  • Beverly Parayno – Wildflowers

    Beverly Parayno – Wildflowers

    Wildflowers is a long-awaited debut by the Californian writer Beverly Parayno. In these nine unforgettable stories, spanning several generations and traversing the Philippines, the Bay Area, and Ireland, Parayno illuminates the emotional and psychological journeys of Filipino and Filipino…

  • Bitter Melon Sounds

    Bitter Melon Sounds

    My father had an expression. It went: You don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground. This expression did not originate with him. It had been well worn, handed down from generation to generation. It was…

  • Dead Air

    Dead Air

    My uncle played piano—jazz piano. He encouraged me to write poetry and I began scribbling thoughts—that I kept to myself. Who would care about them? It would be nothing but silence on a page, I thought. 

  • Wings of Memory

    Wings of Memory

    Liam felt rage and despair, twin giants rising in him. That’s it? You’re happy to sit on your ass and let me fix your problem, but it will take a note to remind you that I care, that…

  • Warehouse Punching Bags Don’t Hit Back

    Warehouse Punching Bags Don’t Hit Back

    That wasn’t a wrench, it was a screwdriver, the bag laughed.  “So, are you trying to tell me to go back to the wrench from whence I came?” I asked.  “You got a smart mouth,” I said, assuming…

  • Three Stripes You’re Out (A 4th of July Story)

    Paul led the marches but the marches were casual—more unlocked step than lock step which caught the eye of a superior officer. “Hey, tell those guys to stop.” the officer said. Paul continued walking in his casual step,

  • Cool People

    Cool People

    Calvin is one of the cool one’s. He’s what I call an all-weather kind of guy. If you need him, he’s there regardless of the forecast—and you don’t have to call him. He seems to have a sort…