Imani knew there was more than the darkness of her mother's womb. There come days, however, that swallow up even the surest hope. Can we reverse the grip of darkness?
Gripped
The God of Gate H1
You wake up early and lug your luggage downstairs to wait for your Uber driver. Mild anxiety hangs in the air like the smell of last night's burnt coffee. Will he arrive? Almost to the minute of his scheduled arrival at 6:20, he pulls up in his new white CRV and helps you load your … Continue reading The God of Gate H1
Why I Write
On the one hand, I write stories because a force as strong and as invisible as the wind compels me to. That's not the only reason though. For me, stories are not solid walls we stare at for the sake of admiring the wallpaper. They're windows through which we might glimpse the beauty on the … Continue reading Why I Write
On Wanting to Cry at the Eye Doctor’s
I was going to get to drive Marvin again, and I was more than a little excited. Yes, Laura and I name our cars. Marvin is the gray Toyota Matrix we owned when we lived in Minneapolis that we bequeathed to Laura's mom after getting that wild hair over four years ago to move to … Continue reading On Wanting to Cry at the Eye Doctor’s
Back Home and Back in the Majority
It was our final leg, and we were finally sitting on the plane. Chicago to Minneapolis. OK. We can do this. The last time we had gotten decent sleep—"decent" being defined as eight hours in a horizontal position with our heads on a pillow—was Monday night. In the time zone of our departure, it was Thursday morning.
7 Most Popular Posts of 2018
Happy New Year's Eve from us to you! On this day of both remembering the past year and looking forward to the one to come, here are the seven most popular posts to The Untamed Places in 2018. Enjoy. Number 7 And Then They Killed Lucy April 25, 2018 She was poisoned. That was as clear as … Continue reading 7 Most Popular Posts of 2018
The Ancient Word
His eyes burned as he stared at his mother, who met his gaze with a fierceness he rarely saw, but when he did, he knew a storm was about to break if he so much as blinked the wrong way. It hadn't been his fault. His brother had pushed him. The rest had been mere … Continue reading The Ancient Word
The Magnitude of the Story
I can't get over the magnitude of the story. The highest king in the highest court robed in the highest glory looked out over his vast kingdom and saw a patch of darkness, an enclave of evil within his realm of light. Smoke rose from the spot, smoke from the fires that the king's great … Continue reading The Magnitude of the Story
Sex: I’ve Got a Better Story
I remember the exact date I lost my virginity. It was July 19, 2008. That date is easy to remember because something else happened the very same day that I'll never forget. In fact, that other thing was so important that every year since I've celebrated it on that date. You see, July 19, 2008, … Continue reading Sex: I’ve Got a Better Story
He Ain’t Heavy
A medical doctor friend of mine spent a total of four weeks in Bangladesh treating patients in a Rohingya refugee camp. The following is his story, posted here with permission. (Click here for an overview of this refugee crisis.) Late in the day. Last patient. I see a young man with an older man on … Continue reading He Ain’t Heavy