I own the Sudz-O-Mat on Delancey. Officially, Tuesday nights I close at ten. Officially, the lock on the back door is broken. Officially, my insurance company does not need to …
The Midnight Wash at Sudz-O-Mat Read More
The church parking lot on Willow has sixty spaces. Every Sunday, one stays empty until 11:40 a.m. It is roped off with a hand-lettered sign. New parishioners assume it is …
The Parking Space Saved for 11:40 Read More
Every Friday at dusk, Miss Ada lights two tiki torches at the end of her walkway. Forty-one years. Rain, grief, and the year the street flooded—the torches always burn Friday …
The Torches That Kept the Porch Lit Read More
The story-hour chair at our library held the same woman for forty-four years. Eleven thousand children learned to read on the carpet in front of Miss Etta. She was ninety-one. …
The Etta Room Read More
The oldest bridge in the county is one lane. No light. No signal. The rule is not painted anywhere. The dairy truck crosses first, and everyone waits. Twenty cars at …
The Bridge That Waited for Hank Read More
On our cul-de-sac, Mr. Dell, ninety-one, raised a second flag beneath Old Glory every time one of our kids deployed. Fourteen times since 1984. Army, Marines, Navy, and one Coast …
The Flag Mr. Dell Flew First Read More
The rule at my grandfather’s hardware store is carved into a board above the pegboard: BORROW THE TOOL. BRING IT BACK WHEN YOU’RE DONE. No deposits. No names. Since 1961. …
The Wheelbarrow That Built Forty-One Ramps Read More
The phone company sent a technician to remove the last pay phone in the county on Thursday. It stood at the bus depot. The glass was cracked. The coin slot …
The Pay Phone That Stayed Read More
A tin cup has hung by the roadside well on the Miller place since 1937. The sign says: ANYONE THIRSTY. The county wanted it removed. Liability. The hearing was held …
The Tin Cup at Miller Place Read More
My mother has served supper at 6:15 p.m. sharp for fifty-eight years. Not 6:10. Not 6:20. My grandfather’s shift at the paper mill ended at 6:05, and she wanted the …
The Supper Set for 6:15 Read More