Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Category: Writing
Reflections on Nelson Mandela
To me, the most amazing thing about Nelson Mandela wasn’t that he spent 27 years in jail or that he walked out of jail to become his country’s president practically overnight. The most amazing thing to me was that he insisted on reconciliation in… Continue Reading “Reflections on Nelson Mandela”
Armed and Dangerous
I distrust male manicurists, thinking them as out of place as ballerinas branding cattle, except dancers would leave feathery marks on creatures’ backs while the nail men show no mercy with their files. __________ Photo: Adam Morse, Unsplash
No Swatting
Sit perfectly still right here, don’t move, stay still, don’t bother with the flies, they won’t bother you if you don’t bother them, stay perfectly still and be here when I get back. ____________________ Yep, you guessed it – a Trifecta Writing Challenge, this… Continue Reading “No Swatting”
Seriously
I need me a big old belly laugh. I need a really good, roaring laugh that goes on for a long time. I need a laugh like my daughter and I used to have in the kitchen when she would say something and I… Continue Reading “Seriously”
Why Am I Not Surprised?
Am I the only one who is not surprised by the shooting of Renisha McBride? An African American woman knocks on the door of a white man living in Dearborn Heights, he assumes the worst and shoots her. Oh my word, all of us… Continue Reading “Why Am I Not Surprised?”
On Why I Can’t Write Anything Decent Tonight
Every topic runs up a short, limbless tree that squirrels abandoned months ago in favor of leafier, greener, more intentional trees; every thought is stumped by what comes next, hesitation dries the well. _____________ 33 words inspired by my exasperation at my inability to… Continue Reading “On Why I Can’t Write Anything Decent Tonight”
November Street
When it snows, the old man across the street begins shoveling immediately. He scraps straight perfect rows down his driveway, piling the half inch of accumulated snow into tiny piles at the curb. When he is done with the last row, he starts over… Continue Reading “November Street”
Dress-Up
I’d wear Groucho Marx glasses every day if I could. It has limited effect now, however, since practically no one now knows who Groucho Marx was. The fun of flicking a stogie is lost on 90% of the people I encounter. So, why bother?… Continue Reading “Dress-Up”
Healthy Competition
She called as soon as the office opened, determined to be first on the first, but the phone rang busy, the line crammed with eager end-seekers, all not wanting to wait their turn. _______________________ Written in response to a Trifextra Writing Challenge: 33 words… Continue Reading “Healthy Competition”
Firefly
I heard the rumors. The guy at the grocery told me about a homeless guy sneaking into sheds and garages at night, disappearing in the morning and leaving nothing except old paint cans or winter sleds slightly rearranged. “They say you can’t really tell… Continue Reading “Firefly”
Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
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