In the Shadow of Watts Towers, Part 2
III. Our principal, Dr. Rawls, was an aloof WASP, choir leader at his San Fernando Presbyterian church, and some sort of alderman in an all-white…
In the Shadow of Watts Towers, Part 1
I. Teaching isn’t easy. Certainly not in Los Angeles. I might as well say it at the start: I hate it. It’s hard to be among the young. The first day…
“Does it Need a Title?”, “Street Theatre,” “Literary Property,” and Other Poems
Does it Need a Title? There is nothing sadder than an old elephant at the zoo. All alone, the color of tarmac; a gigantic mouse behind bars. She…
Nights in Shining Armor
A true story: The Baltimore Orioles had just beat the Red Sox in ten nail-biting baseball innings. But there were no joyful cheers that day. Instead…
“Faulkner’s Christmas,” “Indecent Calculations,” “Et Tu, Judy, Gwyneth, Barbra, and Meryl?,” and Other Poems
Faulkner's Christmas She hid in the bushes panting, emitting lustful grunts, waiting to be taken. Waiting for her black stud, Mr. Christmas, whose…
“Take the Hope Express,” “Olive Oyl-sama and Popeye-san,” “Making History,” and Other Poems
Take the Hope Express Our rituals are few. Anyone can sing of crows; they bite. We scrape the bottom of the barrel, looking for some- thing to love.…
“Kabuki Underground,” “Kings of Comedy,” “Patriotic Sadism,” and Other Poems
Kabuki Underground I was standing with my pelvis thrust forward; my crotch fit just so at ground zero, facing the Taj Mahal. She seemed to lean into…
“Halfway Between Los Angeles and San Francisco,” “Hope and Change,” “Waste Not, Want Not,” and Other Poems
Halfway Between Los Angeles and San Francisco A rooster signals the start of the day. Workers wearing sombreros and ball caps emerge from the…
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things, Part 3
It was my generation, after all, that had brought this about. It was we who were the food and sex addicts. My parents’ generation didn’t snack. They…
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things, Part 2
My parents had a lot of Jewish friends, and so did I. In fact, I was taken to school throughout my childhood in a carpool made up of Jewish kids. Our…
