essays by shé

bookshelf

Tag: GulfofCalifornia

  • BellaMar

    “I am myself. I am singular.” —Faerie queen in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett 30 months in and I’m still surprised that I live on a boat. High and dry at the moment, but still in a sea-going vessel. “Ridiculous!” I laugh. Life is a twisty-turny adventure, that’s for sure. Habibi was recently…

  • Love Story

    Up late last night, working on a book of stories and splashes (art). Who knew that living in a boatyard could be so productive? Shoulda hauled out long ago…  Here’s an excerpt from “Love Story:” Our hands speak another language, independent of the kissing language. Our hands are chatterboxes, always commenting, caressing, caroming from hill…

  • Wild Swimming

    Evidently there’s a name for what I do: wild swimming, though I seem to be wilder than most. I usually swim without other humans; I don’t tow a brightly colored buoy; I meander, depending on the residents in view. Yesterday a big school of 2-3’ silvery stunners circled me in the dappled morning light, and…

  • Epiphany

    Tuesday night, about 8 o’clock, one of the so-called security guards knocked on Habibi’s hull. He’s a big beefy guy whom I greet as I greet everyone: friendly, but not social. I was already in bed, lights out, and did not answer. I’m in an isolated part of the boatyard and my neighbors were gone.…

  • Shoulds are for Saints

    It’s out! Shoulds are for Saints: the true life adventures of Suzy Le Speed has finally been published. She sprang to life in college, got derailed, then surfaced again and again. Shoulds is a quirky, non-formulaic P.I. novel. Funny feminist fiction for fans of Rita Mae Brown, Linda Barnes, and Susan Isaacs. Set in 1980s…

  • Bing

    “And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again,” crows Mr. Crosby every single morning this week. “Is that true?” I asked my mother when I was ten. “Don’t you want us around?” It was a shock. Isn’t everyone happy to be together during the holidays? Are there parents who don’t like…

  • Suzy Le Speed

    It is so nice not to feel desperate. Hackles lie down and rest awhile. Misery is merely a habit. Buoyed by the recent publication process, I am prepping my P.I. novel for same. The joy I feel is comparable to playing with Emmett, back in the day—pure, unadulterated happiness. Here’s a slice of Shoulds are…

  • Delfinas

    The panga zoomed up as I was exiting the water, the guys pretending to look for fish. I quickly wrapped a sarong around the swimsuited Bod, and turned away. All I want for Xmas is a private, secluded swimming hole. Is that too much to ask? Evidently. Better fix the boat sooner rather than later…

  • Light My Fire

    A short-haired dog the color of pale fire trotted up to me as I ambled home from the ocean this morning. Tawny gold from head to toes, she wagged her tail and gazed up at me in a friendly, expectant manner. Do you have something for me? And actually, I did. I stopped and pulled the…

  • Yes/No

    Not Grateful To the uncle who abused me To the lovers who battered me To the mother who sided with them To the brother who villainized me  To the father who bought it To the niece who ransacked my trust To the friends who refused to bear witness To the relatives who denied aid when…