Two Trace Stories Revisited for Momentary Relevance

The last few days I have been working on an essay for the Re:Print department of Pop Matters, tentatively titled Ernest Hemingway’s Mystic Communion; the topic, inspired by Terry Mort’s non-fiction work, The Hemingway Patrols, concerned with the celebrated author’s quixotic pursuit of German U-boats off the coastal waters of Cuba during World War II, [...]

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

[Originally published at 8763 Wonderland, 12/22/05] It was three days before Christmas and Trace felt a black depression coming on. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “There wasn’t enough left of her to put in a shoe box.” “Providing it’s a child’s-size shoe box,” Wellbeck confirmed. The Public Information Officer for the L.A. County Coroner’s Office offered [...]

John Wesley Hardin and Billy the Kid Drink Coffee in Hell, Part One

  As he tumbled to the hard pavement, praying to Whomever that he didn’t strike his skull on the concrete, Trace’s line of vision fixated on two green apples as they were liberated from the canvas shopping bag and sent rolling down the walkway before coming to rest at the base of a red fire [...]

Little Obsessions

 Dr. Adjavanti was a large and imposing barrel-chested man with a complexion as dark as a cup of three-day old coffee and his rich Nigerian accent was delivered in a deep baritone that reminded Trace of Paul Robeson. The doctor frowned as he studied the thick, scaly plaque psoriasis lesions that tenaciously clung to Trace’s legs like [...]

Mr. Bukowski and the French Journalist Go To Starbucks

“In your new collection of poetry from Black Raven Press, Kill All the Monkeys and Tell Me When the Circus Leaves Town,” the French journalist said, staring at her notes in a pale green steno notebook, “you poke fun once again at the nouveau riche in Los Angeles who think that they are cultured because [...]