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RWA Traditional Author Weekend—A Newbie Reflects
Posted on April 22, 2024 Leave a Comment
On April 6th and 7th, I attended my first literary conference. As an RWA general member, I felt compelled to start participating in events other than the monthly “Power Up” sessions. The conference was instructive, energizing, but mostly daunting. Back in a previous life, I went to college to become a businessperson. I had zero […]
Here Comes the Pitch…
Posted on January 14, 2024 Leave a Comment
As the story goes, my sophomore history teacher, Mr. Chamberlin, singled out my mother and father on parent’s night to announce that I was, “an exceptional writer,” and “should be encouraged to write more.” This was news to them. This was breaking news to me. Up to that point in my life, I’d only considered […]
Hey Dave!
Posted on March 26, 2023 Leave a Comment
If you’ve ever ridden the roller coaster of nostalgia that is channeling your past in current endeavors, you know how quickly it can become disorienting. At first, it seems like a fun thing to try. And so you strap yourself into a non-threatening and colorful car that will take you along the ups and downs […]
Finding Fidelity – Take This Job and Shove it
Posted on September 26, 2022 Leave a Comment
Rather than thrifting, napping, or just blowing off lunch, Leo and I had begun a weekly ritual of sharing lunch on his newly reconditioned redwood picnic. This always occurred on Tuesdays. Under the circumstances of my life at the moment, this seemed apropos. As is the natural evolution of things, I was tasked with ordering, […]
Finding Fidelity – Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Posted on August 24, 2022 Leave a Comment
I hiked the parking lot, climbed the stairwell, and traversed the nondescript grayish industrial carpet squares leading to my cubicle. As I snuggled into my perfectly ergonomic chair, I glanced at the vintage analog clock frittering away time just below my dual monitor cleavage. It was a miniature brass Dunhaven mantle clock with a ticking […]
Finding Fidelity – The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades
Posted on March 20, 2022 1 Comment
“Jezuz!” I exclaimed out loud to no one in deadpan alley. I remembered why I hadn’t eaten, and why I was so fucking hungry—blood draw day for the “corporate wellness program”. Apparently, one is at the pinnacle of health when one has not eaten for at least 12 hours (or longer). I posited that there […]
Finding Fidelity – Knocking on Heaven’s Door
Posted on January 24, 2022 1 Comment
We both sat silently leafing through our respective magazines for what seemed like a half dozen eternities. The whole scene struck me as absurd. At least half of the people in the vast waiting zone were terrified about the forthcoming tests and test results. Even in their own tiny support groups, everyone was isolated inside […]
Finding Fidelity—We Built This City
Posted on October 15, 2021 Leave a Comment
I stood in the sparsely adorned basement with my new Springsteen album spinning away on the turntable. About all I had accomplished was to assemble the modular crates that held my record collection, stack my stereo on a rusty metal cart I’d snatched from the city dump, and set up a table I’d grabbed off […]
Finding Fidelity — Downtown Train
Posted on October 4, 2021 2 Comments
Josie and Drew had suffered a slew of white-trashy daycare providers. It occurred to me that Brandon and I had as well. In Minnesota, white-trashy daycare providers were a rite of passage for latchkey kids. Most of them were divorced women with deadbeat ex-husbands, multiple kids, and shitty jobs. As such, they could barely afford daycare for their own kids. To remedy this, they quit their shitty jobs […]
Finding Fidelity – The Pretender
Posted on September 20, 2021 1 Comment
As usual, I snuck into the building’s side entrance. This ensured no delays in my ascent to my corporate prison cell. I had to swing by and grab my laptop for the fresh hell awaiting me in some unknown conference room named in honor of a species of some typical Minnesotan freshwater fish. As I ascended the […]
Blake Charles Donley 