Michele McDannold

Underground report: denver. January 20, 2013 First time back in my office in a week. I just didn’t want to come in here. 1. it’s a damn mess. It happens. Getting ready for a trip/event, just start throwing stuff everywhere in a frenzy to get everything done. And still I don’t get it all done, …

Jul 07

Underground Pre-Report: Cleveland, Ohio.

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Underground Pre-Report: Cleveland, Ohio. April 15, 2013 miles and miles to go just days from cleveland and i’m using up wishes, hoping the jeep is fixed in time but know i’ll get there either way. maybe the howll-mobile rides again. maybe i skip the gps and get lost among the windmills in indiana. maybe just …

Jul 07

Underground report: Carlinville, Illinois.

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Underground report: Carlinville, Illinois. March 2013 I didn’t get lost until the way home. Which is usually the way it happens since I don’t bother with directions at that point. Not a big deal though since it was daylight and I have a general sense of the area already. I was able to clip down …

Jul 07

Underground Report: Jacksonville, Illinois.

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Underground Report: Jacksonville, Illinois. June 24, 2013 you can try to make sense of it, or … (just say Thank You) so how did this all come together? the reporter asks hhmmm. why isn’t this wifi working? how late are we running? does anyone have an extension cord?? how did what…? he should have been …

Jul 07

E.E. Cummings

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Citizens for Decent Literature, Flash, Issue #7

I don’t think that I’ll age well. I was counting on poetry to keep me young like some kind of island or some shit that gives the mind a much needed respite… but look at Cummings: never worked a straight job; traveled to Europe frequently; given a generous allowance; had someone else father his child; …

Jul 07

The Movie Theatre

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SHIT, I muttered, and adjusted my ballsack. I’m pretty sure this woman will be the death of me, I thought. She wouldn’t stop talking about her best friend, Karen, from Long Island with a PhD in biology. I vaguely remember her mentioning painting her nails this morning. Bright red. She flashed them in my face. …

Jul 07

An Open Letter to You Know Who You Are

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you were right. you [who have been lucky enough to complain that no one ever advocates on your behalf] were right. i victimize myself. you [who have never heard a sexpot with twice your muscle mass crack laughs on your body from a foot above your head] were right. i can’t take a joke. you …

Jul 07

I always drive over potholes

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leave the mayonnaise out overnight, blue lid flung carelessly on a table of toast crumbs I drip mustard on the white shirt you washed just last night and hung up in your corner of the closet I drop cookies in the bottom of the oven let my cheese bubble over the blue bowl, onto the …

Jul 07

Song From a Slowly Sinking Ship

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…and when she’s gone, door clicking shut behind her, I crawl into the bathroom to hover over the sink and puke (a strange new daily ritual), then stop and stare into that pale portrait that is my ghostly reflection painted dead center onto the mirror’s frame. I study every line, every grey hair, every crimson …

Jul 07

Readjusting

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