Once in a long while -- and the whiles keep getting longer -- I have felt inspired to write a short story. There aren't many, but because my best friend Larry liked them so much, I appreciate them more than I might otherwise. And it also makes it that much more frustrating that I generally feel unable to write more such stories. As I once responded to a 5-minute prompt, "The writer in me hides behind things to do, people to see, worlds to change. The writer in me thinks he needs to explore, to process, to do – but not to write. That damned writer in me needs to get tied up, strapped down, slapped in the face and have a Papermate pen taped to his fingers. The writer in me needs to look in the mirror and see a writer."
Clearing the Mind, or Mindless Mindfulness
Looking at Things from All Sides
A Sicilian Homecoming - or the secret history of bocce
The Stories of Bertha McMurphy: A Collection of 13 short pieces about a woman who really existed and, if these stories are to be believed, was very wise
The Legend of Hamilton Topping Two embellished stories about Leslie's and Ferd's arrest in the Catskills , one from Ferd's perspective, one from Leslie's
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? A true story, perhaps slightly embellished, recounted by my father, that left a big impression on me.
Micheline My 1988 description of the most colorful Maine neighbor who bequeathed us a puppy and lots of good laughs.