excerpted from No Plan Survives a novel in progress
Ric sat in the back seat of the Humvee reading an American news magazine. Henry and Matson sat in the front slapping cards down between them on the gunner’s platform. Ric had tried to grasp the basics of the game, but Matson spoke quickly and Henry didn’t [...]

Many of you have already read versions of the below story. But the below version won me an award. All College Honors (Graduate Creative Writing–Fiction) at California College of the Arts. So here it is again. A bit different, a bit the same.
Two dirty men smoke a joint on a [...]

OMGlit Spring, 2008
A rich white man wearing a thousand dollar suit with a two dollar flag pinned to its lapel paced back and forth on a hastily set-up stage. He spewed the words Islamofascism and terror and crusade from his fat red mouth. With tears running down his face, he spoke passionately about honor and [...]

Henry lost his two front teeth one winter day in a divided town next to a gray river. They were fine teeth. Once, they were buck teeth and the kids he went to school with laughed at him and called him beaver and asked him how the trees tasted. But his parents [...]

Henry was skeptical. But Luke said it wouldn’t be a problem “We can go to the park,” he said shortly after arriving. “Where’s Haight?”
“I don’t know,” Henry said. He pulled out his computer to look it up.
They got off BART and found Haight and made their way to the park. [...]

Two dirty men smoke a joint on a busy street corner. Henry can recognize that sweet smell anywhere. Even through the rank odor of urine and shit and rotting teeth and rotting cities. He quit when he couldn’t find the words to match his thoughts. He’d think cat and write dog. [...]

Clouds like cotton candy rest in a baby blue sky. The muddy ground is covered with brown needles and crunchy dead leaves. We’re on the obstacle course. We scurry over obstacles and run to the next like ants through a picnic.
Jon Roberts, a single son from Arizona, is doing the over/under. [...]

Two dirty men pass a joint on a busy street corner. I’d recognize that sweet smell anywhere. Even over the rank odor of urine and shit and rotting teeth and rotting cities. I quit when I couldn’t find the words to match my thoughts. I’d think cat and write dog. [...]

Her face is gentle. Button nose above smiling lips. Ice blue eyes sparkling in the light. Brown hair pulled back into an effortless ponytail. White neck and teeth and cleavage. She looks as if she doesn’t have a care in the world. Men hope just to hear her laugh. [...]

Criminal Investigations Command, Ft. Knox KY—MPRC 2003-1898 appendix 126
Fort Knox Military Police
Patrol Posting
Date: 12 August 2003
Hours: 1800-0600 hrs
Duty Officer: SFC Vassalli
Desk Sergeant: SSG Williams
Dispatcher: PFC Garcia
Blotter Clerk: SPC Perlman
Supervisor: SSG Roberts
A Zone: PFC Jackson
B Zone: SPC Edwards
C Zone: SGT Moyer
D Zone: PVT Walker
K-9: SGT Bender
MPI: [...]