The Carlos Clay Crockery Company
Bianca didn’t have time to stuff the hundred-dollar bill into her pocket before Luis came in to check her register.
The Buried Man
The truth is I don’t expect them to show up at all. I’m used to getting blown off. It’s basic as hell—New Kid Blues, et cetera, et cetera.
Chasm
Calvin started going to the diner as an escape. He wanted to avoid church, but his parents made him promise to acknowledge God, His presence, at least once a week.
Rock Bottom
There are ley lines. You know them because you feel them beneath your feet, humming up your stunted legs.
Caring for Mr. Bernard: An Instruction Manual
The position you are about to assume is one of great esteem.
The Heavens Beneath
Los Suelos is a revelation. On the surface the town looks rundown. But there is a thrum beneath the crust here.
Damn Diary
Goddamn those Schaefers. If I never write another word in this damn diary, let those ones be the ones that stick.
Excerpts From a Doctoral Student’s Closing Notes
I can’t believe this. I managed to do the only thing I didn’t want to do.