April 9th, 2024 It’s always curious to me when older people say that kids these days are soft. Isn’t that the point of modern society? Isn’t that the reason we evolve as a species? To let our children be softer, to encourage them to be kinder, to let them be a little gentler than theContinue reading “soft”
Tag Archives: Childhood
Ode to Burnsville Center
April 2nd, 2024 It might be impossible to describe how it felt to be inside the Burnsville Center when I was a kid; what the Mall meant to us who grew up during its height. But I’m going to try. These feelings came up strong today when I took my kid there to burn offContinue reading “Ode to Burnsville Center”
Lefse
December 23rd, 2023 No matter where I turn, I can’t escape the refrain, delivered with a deep sigh: “It doesn’t feel like Christmas this year.” I try to empathize with the observer; I attempt to comfort them by telling them that it’s just the weather. It’s the rain. It’s the lack of snow. It’s theContinue reading “Lefse”
A Dream of Tin & Eternity: They’ll Come True, Impossible Not To Do
December 21st, 2023 One of the taglines I used for A Dream… was: “The sequel to everything, real and imagined.” Anyone who read the book found out exactly what I meant: while I used most of the major characters I’ve introduced in my published stories over the past ten years, they shared the stage withContinue reading “A Dream of Tin & Eternity: They’ll Come True, Impossible Not To Do”
Novelty Treats
November 14th, 2023 “Are you bored?” a co-worker asked me the other day during a brief moment of inaction. “Oh, I’m never bored,” I said, as I often say. I explained that my head is always playing thoughts that excite me: developing stories and evolving characters and creating brand new worlds. But this is onlyContinue reading “Novelty Treats”
In Defense of Marvel
November 10th, 2023 I’m sure you’ve already heard, but Marvel is done, big time. There’s nothing left. It’s all too woke, the studio is broke, none of the stories make sense anymore and they’re just putting out, like, the worst garbage ever made of all time, like, for reals. Weirdly, though, I watched the seasonContinue reading “In Defense of Marvel”
The Words I Needed Then
July 31st, 2023 Today is the last day of Brushfire month, which means I can shut up about it for a little while now. I tell people that I don’t write for an audience, and that is generally true; I don’t sit down and think of a target person, their age or gender or preferencesContinue reading “The Words I Needed Then”
Faribault High School Reunion ’23
July 15th, 2023 I had a ridiculously good time with these kids last night. We had our [loudly coughs]th high school reunion, and reunions are so stupid, which is why I love reunions so much. The further away we get from who we used to be, though, the less stupid reunions get. You get remindedContinue reading “Faribault High School Reunion ’23”
the graetness of being human
July 10th, 2023 “Every night you make somebody’s day.” I can’t easily explain why I’m still in the restaurant business after all these years. There are the reasons I keep freely between my fingers like playing cards, displaying them when people ask me to show them a magic trick. As a writer who makes veryContinue reading “the graetness of being human”
Platform of Pain
May 19th, 2023 If you would have told me when I was a kid that I would eventually build my life on hurt, I would have told you that you say really weird things to kids. But you would have been right. I was having a recorded conversation with a friend earlier this week (forContinue reading “Platform of Pain”
The Den 