Aug 27, 2021A Boy Made of Iron and ClayMy journey from fundamentalism to freedom — As a child raised on the Bible and a great deal of craziness, I’m familiar with the iron and clay from the book of Daniel. There it is written, “It’s feet are partly of iron and partly of baked clay.” …Memoir9 min read
Mar 12, 2021Corn Country WiseguysTwo midwestern wannabe mobsters’ encounter with the real thing — A raging pain in my side and anything but laying here is a no-go. That’s what it’s like to be dying, but a trip to the hospital isn’t a good idea. …Fiction9 min read
Mar 5, 2021Dendroseris Litoralis’s Tale of the Más a Tierra MiskitoOne tree’s memories of a trivial castaway story — Dendroseris Litoralis’s limbs are splayed about haphazardly, with lackluster cabbage-shaped, cabbage-colored leaves and yellow-orangish flowers. It isn’t the sort of Pacific island tree that towers over beaches bearing regal crowns of haughty fronds. It is edible, though. Goats introduced in the 1500s to the tree’s only home on an island…Creative Non Fiction4 min read
Published in Genius in a Bottle·Mar 4, 2021Beneath the Bottom LineWhen you’re living beneath the bottom line, you don’t have far to fall — Tommy sat at the counter in Tilly’s Cafe, a little roadside diner nestled between several vacant buildings on the highway running through town. It was the only place that served breakfast without a sermon on a Sunday morning in Lesterburg. …Fiction9 min read
Nov 17, 2020How the Barometer Was InventedFor centuries people didn’t understand atmospheric pressure — Beginning with Aristotle, people once believed that nature abhorred a vacuum. The idea that nature abhors a vacuum was used to explain why a keg of wine wouldn’t drain unless an opening were made at both the top and the bottom. It was believed that nature would not allow a…History3 min read
Published in Genius in a Bottle·Oct 13, 2020The Truth of TormuldA fantasy genre short story — My life of adventure began with a stranger’s visit to our quiet little village of Twin Oaks. We hadn’t had a visitor for years, so his arrival did not go unnoticed. Most of the villagers hungered for news of the outside world. But, he was a man of few words…Fiction10 min read
Oct 8, 2020Five Ways to Learn About U.S. HistoryHistory at your fingertips with these apps and websites — The United States has a rich history comparative to its relatively short existence. U.S. history’s timeline is a story of tragedies and triumphs, acts of goodness and acts of hate, moments of pride, and moments of shame. An abundance of material has been written about U.S. history, and today we…History4 min read
Published in History of Yesterday·Oct 5, 2020Sir Keith Park — World War IIThe unsung hero of the Battle of Britain — In the wake of Germany’s rapid conquest of France, the Luftwaffe launched a brutal air campaign against Great Britain that came to be known as the “Blitz.” Germany hoped the campaign would force Britain to negotiate a peace settlement and bring an end to the war on the Western Front. …History5 min read
Published in History of Yesterday·Aug 9, 2020The One Man Spy Network That Fooled the NazisHe was a poultry farmer who became a spy with no training or experience. — For some people, extraordinary events open the door for their talent to shine where it would have gone otherwise unnoticed. And so it was for the son of a Spanish dye factory owner. He was born in 1912, the third of four children. He had an unremarkable early life. …History5 min read
Published in History of Yesterday·Jul 29, 2020The First Fatal Airplane Crash in HistoryIt wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when. — The Wright brothers, who had ushered in the era of the airplane with their historic flight in 1903, were also involved in the first-ever fatal airplane crash. The accident occurred on 17 September 1908 at Fort Meyer, Virginia. The Wright Brothers Battle Skepticism Following their famous Kitty Hawk flight, the brothers spent the next several…History5 min read
