I love the extra cooking time I get in the summer. I’ve made broths, sauces, breads, and sawmill gravy (The only dish besides jambalaya and gumbo that I learned like oral history—these recipes feel different when I make them. Maybe I should explore that in another post…). This week’s output will also include some rolls, … Continue reading not “sea legs,” but maybe “baker’s wrists” or “dough mitts”
Or maybe “Skeletons In the Closet.” An old bone won’t have much meat on it and if it’s too far gone, it won’t make a good base for a stock either. Going through an old notebook last night, I found a brittle femur that I’ll offer up in a second. For some reason, my grandmother … Continue reading Digging Up Bones
You can read a recent short story of mine here. The story started as a dream script that I would present to Jan Svankmajer, one of my favorite directors. In a way, my attempt was to give an interior monologue to a puppet or character in a stop-motion film. Much of Svankmajer’s work has no … Continue reading A Failure to Communicate
For part of our summer reading assignments, we are responding to a few of Poe’s short stories. After reading “The Black Cat,” I’ve asked students to respond with a story or a response about their own fears. I wish I could say I had an interesting personal fear. I’m not talking about the fear of … Continue reading One Snake, Two Snake, Red Snake, Blue Snake
Even though I’m wrestling with several challenges personal and professional, only one seems to fit this blog: the 100 books challenge. Ok, make that two: I’ve got to get glasses! Since I published a few poems and have worked on two separate albums set to come out this year, I’m not pushing myself on the … Continue reading Challenges
Losing my zen when I complain of rain. Atonement: A haiku for my grandmother who said I would be a teacher, but never saw me become one. I miss her homemade bread, soup, and pasta and the way she laughed. And, really, she’s one of the reasons that I have very little to complain about. … Continue reading Haiku Humpday
I’ve always loved this holiday’s artwork, but I recently found out that many folks write satirical epitaphs for the living called calaveras or “skulls.” Here’s mine: Here Lies McClurg He had but only one wish, To play in his native English, But his eyes, they teared, As he sniffed and feared, “They’ll only remember the … Continue reading Happy Day of the Dead!
Of course, it was an English teacher. We’ll call her Ms. G. Oh, what a crush I had on her in sixth grade. All it took was for her to talk about a book in class and I would go read it. One day she happened to mention a book by Stephen King. I knew … Continue reading Happy Halloween
Woke up early. Before my regular work time. Went straight to a book. Went to breakfast when one of my favorite diners in town opened. The first customer. Vegetable omelet, biscuits, hash browns, bacon. The whole time reading a book on reading. For school and for me to improve my teaching. Making chicken stock for … Continue reading Thoughts While Dogwalking and Elsewhere
Stephen McClurg 