Stories | slouch.

read 'run' on paragraphline.com

By pookie you-know-that-guy-that-hangs-out-front-the-liquor-store-all-day, on May 10th, 2012 |

Some of the stories in my just finished novel, Picture Me Rollin’, are self contained enough so that I sought about publication for them in lit mags. ‘run,’ a story about a witnessed home invasion in the Western Addition, is now up on paragraphline.com

that’s how it works

By admin, on December 15th, 2009 |

I keep on waiting for it to happen. For inspiration to hit. I walk around during the day and think how great it’s going to be when I make [...]

Relapse in 26 Lines

By Chris West, on August 5th, 2009 |

A thick creamy plume of smoke rises up into the stale air of the hotel room. Back at it
again. Canʼt believe it. Damn. Eloi, eloi lama sabbacthani and all that shit. Fucking truth
of the matter, though, is that Godʼs off the hook on this one. Gacked myself up, as
usual. [...]

bird attack

By joshuacitrak, on June 15th, 2009 |

I smoked a cigarette down to my knuckles keeled against the dumpster; she never came out. Probably she still had [...]

and not only was he not his uncle, he never even went to school with his mother

By joshuacitrak, on April 22nd, 2009 |

He checked himself at all angles, and when he was happy with his look said to his uncle, “Yo, I’m exullerated. I mean, wait, did I say that [...]

conversation between cousins

By joshuacitrak, on March 14th, 2009 |

“Four days before dontcha know she’d cut herself,” my cousin paused through the phone. I could hear the phone scratching on something, his face, shoulder, while he was knocking at something with his free hands. “You know. Slashed her wrist.”
“Oh yeah,” was all I could think to say.
“Yeah. I mean, that’s the only reason I married her.”
“I thought your son introduced [...]

unfinished story

By joshuacitrak, on February 16th, 2009 |

JJ took all the rings off her left hand before she slid it in between the iron bars of the security gate. Twisting and contorting her arm until her elbow pushed through the narrow gap and was able to bend freely, she stretched for the door handle. Her fingers groped at the air like a [...]

the greatest comeback of all times

By joshuacitrak, on November 28th, 2008 |

I didn’t know where I was going or how I thought I could find it, but I ended up in Seattle anyway. I’d had an epiphany. It sounded like my own voice, which I hadn’t heard in years. I once was lost, yeah, but that part about being found had really been confusing me. I [...]

how i am not myself

By joshuacitrak, on April 16th, 2008 |

On Sunday’s you had to make sure you had enough melon, because often, it was the only thing on the plate that didn’t get sent back. If you ran out of melon, the other cooks would freak, morale on the line would collapse.
“Dios mio,” they’d say, spatula’s and tongs dangling from their hands, the frantic [...]

everything perfect

By joshuacitrak, on April 14th, 2008 |

I was born in New York. I am a fan of baseball. There are only twenty people in this country that have the same last name as me.
See? That isn’t difficult. I don’t have to divulge national secrets, but goddamnit I do have to say something. Just whatever. Make some kind of effort. C’mon kid, [...]

read 'run' on paragraphline.com

that’s how it works

Relapse in 26 Lines

bird attack

and not only was he not his uncle, he never even went to school with his mother

conversation between cousins

unfinished story

the greatest comeback of all times

how i am not myself

everything perfect

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