“I’m no art expert, but I know that mentula means prick” “Or chicken vindaloo” “Or: Con maschile pudore e maschile impudicizia” “I’m telling you. I’m only here because he beggedme to get on the next flight. Insisted he needed me to talkwith someone who owed him something, eccetera,(eccetera?) Which I knew was a lie” “Carbone. Car—bone. Or goat. Or goat’s milk?” “I said he could … Continue reading 4:43 pm Via degli Orfani, 84 by Ann Pedone
Verb. To ring, to blare. Birds also use the verb squillarebecause they make a certain sound. Una ragazza squillo, however,is not a girl who makes a certain sound, but a prostitute. That’s adifferent sound than a bird. Although, if you’ve read any Catullus,you would know that it’s not actually all that different. Continue reading Squillare by Ann Pedone
Long before Lana Del Rey made the word and concept of “Daddy” her bitch, there was Jewel with a song from 1995’s Pieces of You called “Daddy.” And long before her, there was, of course, Sylvia Plath. With a poem called, you guessed it, “Daddy.” One that would become among her most illustrious and frequently cited, especially by women who could feel the same pain. … Continue reading Jewel’s “Daddy” Would Not Exist Without Sylvia Plath’s
I am a survivalistin thatI am surviving, butthere are survivalistsof another kindthose who digdeep downto createunderground bunkers this is appealingto me my bunker would be simplefilled with books and candlesenough non-perishable foodto last several decadesa CD playera backup CD player, andanother CD playerjust in case there would be a fridgea washing machinean oven, andof coursea generatorpowered by abovegroundsolar panels and wind turbines there would be … Continue reading Survivalists by Steve Denehan
As Pride Month commences with a rocky start in the U.S. thanks to various corporations getting spooked by a conservative backlash against parading any “rainbow merchandise,” one book that bears a revisit amid this climate is Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller’s Bad Gays. While some would be hesitant to dredge up this title at a moment when the LGBTQIA+ community is already being maligned enough … Continue reading In Bad Gays, The Argument Is Made That Homosexuality Is a Political Construct Designed to Be Criminalized or “Accepted” Whenever It Suits Those in Power
Humpty Dumpty was a girl.Her parents’ marriage was a swirl.Her mommy always called her “Humpty”Her daddy always called her “Dumpty”One day when she crossed the streetWhile only looking at her feet—“Watch out, Humpty!” yelled her mother;“Look out, Dumpty!” screamed her father.And before the car could hit her(she was hit first by the fact that she had been so confused throughout her entire life by this … Continue reading Humpty Dumpty by Raluca Nechita
The only thing dead is my right arm—limp as a stunned mackerel washed up by the surf.I can see the fish is still attached to my shoulder.How weird is that? I can’t grasp the word for stroke. Nothing makes sense. I forget about breakfast,forget I should be hungry but don’t forgetto apply lipstick and sunblock. I’m not close to dead.Not even dying. In the ambulance, … Continue reading After the Stroke by Dale Champlin
