Me: finishes writing a flash fiction
Seven-year-old: “You finished the book?!?”
Me: “Uh, no, a short story.” Continue reading “Flash Fiction”
On the Eve of the Apocalypse
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Theme of Absence, March 2017
Dear Patriarchal Genetic Progenitor,
In spite of my requests that you leave me alone, I find notifications and messages from you, little traces of your electronic existence, in every aspect of the virtual world whenever I dare to tread in it. Generally, I ignore your unwanted advances toward a relationship that I gave up long ago. But tonight, knowing that the Elasporians will descend to Earth tomorrow, I find that the idea of reaching out to you and your myriad tiny abuses is less painful and frightening than the reality that all flesh-bodied humans will face tomorrow. Continue reading “On the Eve of the Apocalypse”
Pre-NaNo Dithering
I keep going back and forth about whether I should try to write Unexpected Voyage for NaNoWriMo this year. I already have 8-10k starts on Otters In Space 4, In a Dog’s World 2, and Xeno-Spectre. So I feel like I should focus on one of them instead… and yet…
I figure, if I hit Halloween midnight without having picked a different novel to focus on, I’ll go ahead and start Unexpected Voyage. So, I have five days to re-familiarize myself with the other options and see if I can commit to one. Continue reading “Pre-NaNo Dithering”
Anniversaries of Traumas
That feeling when you try to summon next week’s news by just refreshing Twitter hard enough.
Anniversaries of traumas are hard. I could barely sleep for months after the last election, and I can feel my body is already gearing up for that, preparing to brace itself and be always awake, always wary. It is not helpful.
Tidbits of Rage
So long as people in this country can call themselves “pro-life” without being roundly met by derision and condemnation of their evilness, every person with a uterus is in danger of losing their right to control their own body.
The term “pro-life” is hate speech. Continue reading “Tidbits of Rage”
Terminator 2
“Well, Sarah, here’s the problem: I know how smart you are.” —T2: Judgement Day
Ain’t that just the truth of men in power, thinking it’s a problem when women are smart. Continue reading “Terminator 2”
Improper Ratio
There are too many things.
And too few of them are spaceships.
Intentions
Having finished a novel today, I intend to take several days off from writing.
But I also intend to fail at that plan and work on short stories.
I do not intend to launch right into working on a different novel…
It will be interesting to see which intention pans out.
Captcha Blues
Me: clicks on website
Website: are you a robot?
Me: no
Website: okay
Me: clicks on website
Website: are you a robot? Continue reading “Captcha Blues”
The Baby Carriage in Speed
I’ve watched Speed countless times in the last 25 years, and it took until NOW to realize Annie doesn’t actually say she’s a psychology researcher.
“…relationships that start under intense circumstances never last … I’ve done extensive study on this.”
My head canon is better.
This is the second time Speed has illustrated the gulf between my emotional reactions and those expected from neurotypical people for me. The first involves the bus running into the baby carriage full of cans.
Continue reading “The Baby Carriage in Speed”