I hated my job at the bowling alley more than usual that day. The Maximum Lilac deodorizer had run dry. I was too busy renting out shoes to slap an out-of-order sign on Mission Impossible, which left … [READ MORE] about A Random Strike
WEB EXCLUSIVES
Our Family Fortune-Teller
The sign in my window says “Card Reader.” It is small, fuzzy, and lit up in a shade of 1960s pawnshop neon that implies my lack of card-reading expertise as well as a dwindling interest in the … [READ MORE] about Our Family Fortune-Teller
Down There
One summer night in 2030, in the garden of a nursing home, two old men began remembering. As a little boy I thought that dried apricots were ears, and I’d wonder who the unlucky soul was who’d had … [READ MORE] about Down There
Goodwill
Let’s say you work in a candy factory cleaning the chocolate vats, and the job is dull, but you’re like, It’s necessary so the kids can be safe. Except then you read an article about how your … [READ MORE] about Goodwill
Pioneers
ASF is recognizing Black History Month by sharing, for the first time online, four stories from our Winter 2020 issue, which showcased emerging Black writers selected by guest editor and PEN American … [READ MORE] about Pioneers
Spare the Rod
ASF is recognizing Black History Month by sharing, for the first time online, four stories from our Winter 2020 issue, which showcased emerging Black writers selected by guest editor and PEN American … [READ MORE] about Spare the Rod