Firewater’s Vignette #4: Racist Road Trip

When I volunteered to help open a new Target store about twenty years ago—as a seasoned logistics manager, no less—I met Tony. He was assigned as the hardlines manager. For those who don’t speak fluent Target (especially vintage Target from two decades ago), here’s how the store hierarchy worked back then. At the top, you […]

Firewater’s Vignette #3: Write What You Know

He had been staring at the blank page for hours, and the blank page had begun to stare back. Everyone says write what you know. The problem was, the only thing he knew at the moment was that he couldn’t write. His chest felt heavy, as though something heavy sat on him. His thoughts were […]

Firewater Vignette #2: For Want of a Nail

I came back inside the house from the garage. When I walked into the living room, my wife asked, “What are you doing?” Whenever confronted with the question “What are you doing?”—regardless of inflection or intent—I automatically feel put on the defensive. “What do you mean?” I asked, trying to determine the lay of the […]

Firewater’s Vignette #1: A Boring Slice of Life

“I think it was because you were an only child.” I looked up from the paperback I was reading. I was sitting in my overstuffed recliner in the living room, with a reading lamp turned on. I think I was reading an older Fred Saberhagen novel. I looked over at my wife, who was sitting […]

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vignettes

Firewater’s Vignette #4: Racist Road Trip

Firewater’s Vignette #3: Write What You Know

Firewater Vignette #2: For Want of a Nail

Firewater’s Vignette #1: A Boring Slice of Life