a dandelion and three seeds blowing away from it

Mother’s Day

I was too young to babysit, and had no allowance, so all the money I had came from the sidewalk or from returning glass bottles to the corner store. The week of Mother’s Day I shook out my tootsie-roll shaped bank and found I had $1.18. The year before, I’d Read more

A bricklayer sighs at his bricks. A man carrying wood past him thinks "Primadonna"

Quirks

For May Day, I thought I’d post this story of mine featuring trade unionism that appeared in Analog in November of 2017. Enjoy and Solidarity! ______             Stosh waved his arms.  “Stop. Joe! Just stop. JEEZUS.”             Joe, on the hoverplank above, turned off his saw and lifted one side Read more

woman snatches a clock away from a man

My First Con

I was in college, and hanging around Theta Chi fraternity was my major pass time. I had this belief these boys my own age were somehow older, wiser, more sophisticated than me, and I wanted to be like them. [Ah, past me, have more self-esteem!] It was a boy named Read more

cartoon of woman with black hair and glasses

MarCon Was Awesome

It’s amazing how different a convention feels when you know, well, what to do at conventions. The rules of engagement, as it were. What a panel is, what cosplay is. When the parties are and whether you can just show up or need an invitation. That’s what I was thinking Read more

Marie signing copies of her book in the science fiction balcony at Mac's Backs

A Very Quiet WisCon

WisCon is my favorite convention. Really, it is. Being in an environment SO liberal that I am not an outlier is like … being a mermaid returned to an ocean she hasn’t seen since babyhood. I can breathe free. Madison, Wisconsin is also an adorable town. A college town and Read more