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The Tragedy of Pateesa
by Nathan Hilbrands | Oct 16, 2026 | Placeless
There were a few scenes that were too scary for little Nathan that would cause me to leave the room, like the guy that got his heart ripped out in Temple of Doom, or the Rancor pit in Jabba’s Palace. When Luke Skywalker and that poor Gamorrean Guard got dropped down that hole I was out of there. I would wait for the all clear from my parents and then go enjoy the rest of Return of the Jedi.
Kinemortophobia (at the Worst Possible Time)
by Noah Keene | Oct 14, 2026 | Placeless
Nighttimes became torturous. As I laid in bed, I’d look first at my bedroom window, then at the window down the hall, waiting to see the giant bat scratching at the window or the claw-like fingers forcing the window open, followed by a lithe figure slithering its way into the house.
Facing Finding Nemo (and Other Assorted Tales)
by Elisabeth Stevens | Oct 13, 2026 | Placeless
The way my parents tell it, that Sunday evening they found me, obligatorily sitting on the floor with the other kids, facing away from the TV, huddled up in a ball, and crying quietly. Something about the film had petrified me.
Adulthood and Being Alone
by Grace Hsu | Oct 12, 2026 | Placeless
I try to turn on the lights before I walk into a dark hallway or room. I check behind the shower curtain every single time I walk into a bathroom. And I get jittery when there’s not another human being in the house with me, especially overnight.
Don’t Poop, There Are Bugs
by Eleanor Lee | Oct 11, 2026 | Boston, Placeless
Where is that dirt coming from? I remember wondering. Then, Why is dirt falling from the ceiling? And then, That’s not dirt—it’s moving!!!
Top Five Most (and Least) Spooky Childhood Bogeymen From Around the World
by Philip Rienstra | Oct 10, 2026 | Placeless
Gurumapa loves to eat children, but is “easily reasoned with,” which I would call a glaring weakness.
It Takes a Lot of Courage to Pee on Planes
by Shuāng Van Tassel | Oct 8, 2026 | Placeless
It didn’t take long for the panic to set in.
“I Got Left Behind!”
by Jesse Kinyua | Oct 7, 2026 | Placeless
Is that plane outside flying really low? Oh God, it probably doesn’t have pilots because they’ve been raptured and the plane is gonna crash!
POV: You’re the Last One Eaten by a Spider in Your RV
by Emilyn Shortridge | Oct 6, 2026 | Placeless
Did you watch the movie in the afternoon or evening? It doesn’t matter. You have to go to bed eventually.
Staying on the Beaten Path
by Alex Johnson | Oct 5, 2026 | New Hampshire
The police bushwhacked their way to us after triangulating my dad’s cell signal (it was 2008).
Maws
by Grace Buller | Oct 4, 2026 | Michigan
A small girl sits at the water’s edge, staring broodily into a sparkling blue sea. Around her is the bustle of a July beach day.
When Adults Were Scary
by Madeline Witvliet | Oct 3, 2026 | Placeless
I wasn’t afraid of them in the way I was scared of the child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or the Nazis at the end of Sound of Music.
Mascots and Their Ilk
by Christina Ribbens | Oct 2, 2026 | Placeless
Sure, it may start with just a high five, but then next thing you know they’re trying to communicate some sort of nonverbal joke…
Utensils of Evil
by Sam Tuit | Oct 1, 2026 | Placeless
The sporks emerged a dark red with glowing eyes, described as unnatural utensils of evil, half-spoon and half-fork.
A Questionable Book Choice
by Gabby Alspaugh | Sep 30, 2026 | Placeless
I don’t think the American public would be cool with a zombie prison barge floating off the coast of Louisiana.
The Ones That Got Away
by Ben Plantinga | Sep 29, 2026 | Placeless
“Liar,” she said, correctly.
Fish Stories and Little Feelings
by Karis Schoon | Sep 28, 2026 | Canada
This was no driftwood; this was my new white whale.
Cosmopolitan Dreaming
by Anna Jeffries | Sep 27, 2026 | Washington, D.C.
I told myself I’d try to “make a go of it” in the city for a year and then see what happened.
Happy Birthday Mom
by Sam Koster | Sep 25, 2026 | Placeless
My mother’s birthday is a few days after mine on the 30th, so we’ve always been birthday buddies—though she’s usually pretty happy to let me take the spotlight for myself.
I Will Always Love You—Taylor, Dolly, And The End of An Era
by Emily Joy Stroble | Sep 21, 2026 | Placeless
If I met some of my longtime friends today, would they like who I am now? Would I even be me now without the parts of me that are them?
Your Best American Girl
by Rylan Shewmaker | Sep 20, 2026 | Belgium
My little sister recently moved to Berlin, inciting long phone calls on what it’s like to be an American abroad and how to understand one’s identity when away from home. One particular subject we’ve been discussing at length is our responses to negative perceptions of...
The Top Ten Reasons To Visit Put-In-Bay
by Luke Brandsen | Sep 19, 2026 | Ohio
Are you sitting at home searching for where to go for your next weekend get-away? Where to have a memorable bachelorette party? Where to find an affordable swim-up-bar?
One Year Later: A Reflection on Teaching from Someone Without an Education Degree
by Priscilla Chang | Sep 18, 2026 | Placeless
Looking back on those lesson plans, I want to bury my head in a ditch.
Patiently Waiting for My FedEx Delivery
by Carlisle Patete | Sep 17, 2026 | Placeless
The time: 9:30 a.m.
The setting: my living room.
The characters: a 26 year old young lady with a broken laptop, an age unknown FedEx delivery person named Kevin.
In Pursuit
by Clint Wilson | Sep 15, 2026 | Placeless
I couldn’t even wait for the whole square of chocolate to melt before crunching what was left of it.
The Jesus and John Wayne Series: Freyanity
by Noah Keene | Sep 14, 2026 | Placeless
I’m one guy. I can’t singlehandedly excise the many poisonous ideas that have tainted the Christian faith down to its deepest roots.
Ecofascism and Rock Music at Five Guys
by Elisabeth Stevens | Sep 13, 2026 | Placeless
So life is like a verb. It’s like acting, like moving, like being, like wanting, like connecting, like paying attention, like loving. It’s none of these things and all of them.
Taipei 101 and a Brief Meditation on the Impressive
by Grace Hsu | Sep 12, 2026 | Taiwan
I spy it crossing a bridge on a bus back into the city from the east; I climb a nearby mountain and it dominates the skyline; I walk to work and am pleasantly surprised to see the spire peeking over the tops of the trees at Da’an Park.
A Rat in Pajamas
by Eleanor Lee | Sep 11, 2026 | Placeless
I want to believe that I’m a powerful person—like the superheroes I love to watch and read about.
Coffee Dragon
by Philip Rienstra | Sep 10, 2026 | Placeless
I’m like a dragon, sitting on a hoard of treasure that’s useless to me, unwilling to use or part with any of it and somehow still hungry for more.
