By U.S. State
By Country
Shoes
by Libby Stille | Jul 21, 2014 | Chicago
The day she truly implanted herself in my mind as the worst choir teacher ever was the day I watched the home video of one of our concerts. I was in seventh grade.
Dedicated Here to the Unfinished Work
by Mary Margaret Healy | Jul 19, 2014 | Pennsylvania
Back in this time without television, movie theaters, and rock concerts, public speeches were exciting and entertaining, and, for the country town of Gettysburg, likely very rare. People would ride for hours, perhaps even days to hear someone.
Playing God
by Matt & Laura Hubers | Jul 18, 2014 | Placeless
We read fiction to watch people overcome their struggles. We enjoy tragic moments, because they are purposeful and developmental. Pain can drive a character or a plot to something complex and important.
Face Forward
by Geneva Langeland | Jul 17, 2014 | Placeless
Suddenly there are more things on my face that could go wrong. Is my mascara giving me a black eye? Did my lipstick make friends with my teeth? Does my eyeliner make me look like King Tut?
A Great Good Place
by Andrew Knot | Jul 16, 2014 | Chicago
It’s a strange, rewarding experience to be surprised in your own home. There are small things: stores that never close, kindness from absolute strangers, the harsh omnipotence of air conditioning, incredibly friendly, sometimes overbearing customer service.
Millicent Bluebell: Demon Cat
by Sarah (VanderMolen) Sundt | Jul 15, 2014 | Placeless
Millie is on the couch, looking sweet as can be. I go to scratch her little kitty ears and I see a look of deranged obsession come into her eyes. She. Must. Bite.
Ketchup and Blood
by Will Montei | Jul 14, 2014 | Grand Rapids
My future girlfriend laughed. After that, I probably didn’t say anything for the rest of the time at the table. I had peaked with that joke, already canonized in my head, replaying it over and over in my mind.
The Escape
by Melissa Dykhuis | Jul 13, 2014 | Placeless
His work didn’t stop, even if the rain did. After a moment’s breath of rain-washed air and a sigh from the depth of his soul, he grabbed the umbrella and closed the door behind him.
En Route
by Abby Zwart | Jul 12, 2014 | Washington, D.C.
The hum of tires on the road and the whoosh of other cars passing and the thump of bumpy highways has a way of drowning out the chatter of everyday life and transporting us smoothly to blessed vacation.
Costas
by Elaine Schnabel | Jul 11, 2014 | Greece
Costas is a short man with bright brown eyes, a salt-and-pepper beard. He dresses in long pants with a plaid button up tucked into a high waistband. Sensible walking shoes.
Triathalove
by Gabe Gunnink | Jul 10, 2014 | Placeless
Dust off your old road bike, strap on some new tennis shoes, and buy some arm floaties if you need to! There is still plenty of time to prepare for your summer triathlon and secure the love of your life.
My Neighbor’s Wind Chimes
by Bart Tocci | Jul 9, 2014 | Chicago
How many wind chimes would be considered reasonable? One, maybe. If it’s nice sounding (silent) and pretty to look at. Two are means for legal action. Guess how many she has. Go ahead.
Yelling Out of Car Windows
by Paul Menn | Jul 8, 2014 | Wisconsin
I can only assume that the good citizens of Appleton must have incurred the wrath of an old crone witch at some point in the past. She in turn cursed the town.
And The World Spins Madly On
by Caroline (Higgins) Nyczak | Jul 7, 2014 | Hungary, New York
It was the pilot who brought us together. We couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm and excitement. A shared laugh is more bonding than a shared complaint.
Stealth Camping: Part Two
by Josh deLacy | Jul 6, 2014 | Canada
I approached the Mustang with my hands raised in surrender. No weapons. No threats. I passed through the glare of the headlights and saw three men sitting in the car. All were big in the Mike Tyson way, and all three looked angry.
Love Over Law
by Alissa Anderson | Jul 5, 2014 | Placeless
Reading it with a Christian lens, we can find interesting and compelling parallels to another story of a beloved son climbing a hill with wood on his back.
MacLeod’s Folly
by Andrew Steiner | Jul 4, 2014 | Scotland
Above the Scottish harbor town of Portree on a wooded hill known as The Lump stands what looks like an ancient watchtower, gazing blindly past the shoulders of the mountains to the Sound of Raasay.
French Self Defense
by Sabrina Lee | Jul 3, 2014 | France
When I finally figured out that my visa couldn’t be extended, and when my departure became imminent, my friends’ plans for extending my stay became more far-fetched by the day.
What the Cat Dragged In
by Jacob Schepers | Jul 2, 2014 | Placeless
A first family pet, unconventional as it may be. “What should we name him, Liam?” asked Charis. “Koonk.” A fine name, indeed. Simple and zany and oh-so-Liam.
Stephanie in Haiti
by Amy (Allen) Frieson | Jul 1, 2014 | Haiti
I didn’t meet Stephanie in the same way I meet most people. I don’t know much about her. I know she went to school, where not all of the kids were able to. She was one of eight children.
Monday Night
by Katie Van Zanen | Jun 30, 2014 | Grand Rapids
Founders is exactly the sort of place that my parents would hate, and I, too, will probably hate when the novelty of standing on a sticky floor until 12:00 a.m. wears off.
On the Past, and Nickelback and Skating Punks
by Nathan Groenewold | Jun 29, 2014 | Placeless
Here’s the Wikipedia Definition: Aggressive Skating/Inline (n.) a form of inline skating executed on specially designed inline skates with focus on grinding and spins.
The Waiting Period: Reverse Jinxes, Umbrellas, and Rain
by Ae Hee Lee | Jun 28, 2014 | Placeless
I reverse jinx myself. I close my eyes tight, like a constipated kid, and think of all the worst possible outcomes. Then I convince myself that if I was able to think it up, it will not happen.
On Prayer (Sort Of)
by Brad Zwiers | Jun 27, 2014 | Placeless
The idea of prayer “kicking things off” isn’t all that poor. God should be at the beginning of what we do. But it becomes a problem when the only time we pray is at the start of something.
Consider the Lilies
by Griffin Jackson | Jun 26, 2014 | Chicago, Michigan
You think you are the glory of creation, but you are still within creation. For dust you are and all that. You think, I should see the redwoods soon. I should go to Tuvalu before it’s underwater.
Lost Dogs, Hawks, and Vending Machines
by Cassie Westrate | Jun 25, 2014 | Placeless
So, I scan the trees one last time, turn around, and head back to the campsite. “Did you find the dog?” my friend asks me.
Do I look like I found the dog? I think.
A Vertebrate’s 6 Rules to Remapping a Life
by Jenn Langefeld | Jun 23, 2014 | Placeless
But as I relax into it, the mix of sensations becomes oddly soothing. I think of my spine letting go of its wanderlust ideas and settling back to where it’s meant to be.
Kicking It: The Appeal of the World Cup
by Robert Zandstra | Jun 22, 2014 | Placeless
Soccer can be a way of embodying cultural identity for many throughout the world in a way that American devotion to a particular brand of pro or college sports pales in comparison with.
Crazy
by Libby Stille | Jun 21, 2014 | Minnesota
The 825 bus was supposed to be safe, full of silent commuters taking it to their jobs in fancy skyscrapers downtown. It wasn’t the 10, where you could expect crazy and a half all day long.
Left my Heart in California
by Calah Schlabach | Jun 20, 2014 | California
What you are about to hear is strange, or so I hear: I had always thought I wouldn’t like California. Yes, California. Not Ohio. Not South Dakota, or Kansas, or one of those middle states.
