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# Bob Gillen

Healing through story

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## Posts

- [shortfiction24 - the handoff](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-handoff/) - Tracy Anders adopts a black lab from a cancer patient who can no longer care for him. The handoff is swift, tearful. Enjoy the short story. This is the 100th free short story I have posted to my blog. More to come! Comments are always welcome. The Handoff Bob Gillen Tracy Anders brought her SUV
- [shortfiction24 - luke dumped me last night](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-luke-dumped-me-last-night/) - Morgan Ward is blindsided by her boyfriend dumping her. It's all mind-numbing, he had said. All too easy. Morgan doubts herself. Is it me? This is another story resulting from a story prompt I found last month. I hope you enjoy it. Does it resonate with you? Comments welcome. Luke Dumped Me Last Night Bob
- [shortfiction24 - grandpa's lucky penny](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-grandpas-lucky-penny/) - Tripp receives a history-laden memento from his dying grandpa. In turn he slips his own treasure into the coffin at the viewing service. Enjoy the story. Grandpa's Lucky Penny Bob Gillen Tripp’s thumbs flashed across his phone as he texted his middle school friends while hanging in the ICU waiting room. Tripp’s grandfather had been
- [shortfiction24 - cruising route 66 with charlie watts](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-cruising-route-66-with-charlie-watts/) - Nick's story with Charlie Watts first ran here on the blog at the end of October. In a serendipitous moment, I found another spirit to join the story. While I was shopping at my local Trader Joe's I chatted with Carla, the checker. She asked what I planned to do with the rest of my
- [shortfiction24 footsteps in the sand](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-footsteps-in-the-sand/) - An old man getting acupuncture treatment reflects on his life. Footsteps in the Sand The old man walked through the parking lot and approached the entrance to the medical building. As he neared the automatic doors he caught his reflection in the glass. I look like a feeble old man. Inside, in an acupuncture exam
- [shortfiction24 - steinbeck's funeral](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-steinbecks-funeral/) - Matt Breen struggles with the death of a favorite author and the threat of the Vietnam draft. Steinbeck's Funeral Revolving doors spat Matt Breen into the cavernous lobby of the Wall Street office building where he worked. He tossed a few coins down at the newsstand and grabbed a copy of The New York Times.
- [shortfiction24  fall risk](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-fall-risk/) - "First The Truth Will Piss You Off." Will Thomas spends a night in the ER over a scare about bleeding on the brain. Enjoy the story. Fall Risk The PA in the crowded Los Angeles ER squawked. “Intermediate critical, ETA five minutes.” Lying in his narrow, hard hospital bed in the ER, the announcement took
- [shortfiction24 patriarchy: zero](https://www.bobgillen.net/patriarchy-zero/) - Nikki Bolt scores one for the feminine side. I'm back to posting stories. It's been a five-month hiatus. Initially I paused to recover from the 2024 election. Then I got hit with a few medical issues. Treatments caused me a great deal of fatigue and a loss of motivation. I'm feeling much better now and
- [Off-Road: A Film Crew Adventure](https://www.bobgillen.net/off-road-a-film-crew-adventure/) - Coming soon. I am close to finishing the last edit on the opening story in my Young Adult Film Crew series, titled: Off-Road: A Film Crew Adventure. High school junior Tessa Warren and her friends Lyndie Reed and Eric Vargas set out to film the Cactus 100 off-road race in California's Mojave Desert. They want
- [Creating a Community of Characters](https://www.bobgillen.net/creating-a-community-of-characters/) - One of the joys of writing for me is creating a community of characters. Something like putting a band together. And I can thank several writers for teaching me how to do this. Author Elizabeth George, in her Write Away, recommends developing profiles on your characters before beginning to write your story. "Story is character
- [The Moon, Mars, and Alpha Centauri](https://www.bobgillen.net/the-moon-mars-and-alpha-centauri/) - Four years ago I wrote a post in my Creating Story blog about seeing Ray Bradbury at a 2009 book signing in a local bookstore. Bradbury had arrived in a wheelchair, a rumpled man with a huge shock of white hair. He filled the room with excitement. After speaking for a few moments, he had
- [Visiting a Movie or TV Production Set](https://www.bobgillen.net/visiting-a-movie-or-tv-production-set/) - Observing how movie and television productions are shot is an awesome learning experience for an aspiring filmmaker. You can check out your own city or state film commission. They usually announce where and when a production may be working in your area. Observers are often welcome on a set, especially an outdoor location. Here are
- [Touring the Mojave Desert](https://www.bobgillen.net/touring-the-mojave-desert/) - The Mojave Desert features large in my upcoming YA story "Off-Road." Here's a fun article from the Los Angeles Times about a tour of the Mojave. Enjoy the read. "In the Mojave Desert, a winding route reveals the weird and the wonderful"
- [What inspires me to write for young adults](https://www.bobgillen.net/what-inspires-me-to-write-for-young-adults/) - Teaching High School Media Production When my wife and I taught our Media Production class to high school seniors, on day one of the semester-long course we screened the introductory podcast of film director Baz Luhrmann’s Set to Screen series. The series, created by Apple, follows Luhrmann behind the scenes as he directs the 2008
- [Movies to Help Kids Fall in Love with Cinematography](https://www.bobgillen.net/movies-to-help-kids-fall-in-love-with-cinematography/) - Cinematography is more than stunning visuals "Raindance is dedicated to fostering and promoting independent film around the world. Based in the heart of London, Raindance combines Raindance Film Festival, training courses — which are offered throughout the year at our 10 international hubs — and the British Independent Film Awards." In discussing how films can influence young
- [The Red VW in "Off-Road"](https://www.bobgillen.net/the-red-vw-in-off-road/) - Hey. How are you? It’s been another long gap in posting. Caregiving is falling into a routine now, and I’ve dealt with a minor health issue of my own. So…I’m back. My goal is to post weekly from here on out. My new book, Off-Road, is ready for publication. I will be putting it up on
- [Using the Steadicam in Camera Work](https://www.bobgillen.net/using-the-steadicam-in-camera-work/) - In my new novel Off-Road teen Tessa Warren has a mentor in her filmmaking. Kelsey Graf was a friend and classmate of Tessa's deceased brother Ryder. Together they made it through film school at NYU, and were about to start off on film careers when Ryder died in a tragic accident a few months after
- [Where I'm At Today](https://www.bobgillen.net/where-im-at-today/) - The 9/11 Anniversary I’m writing today on the 18thanniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I moved out of New York in 1987. If I had still been there in 2001, my building was only two blocks from the towers. I cannot imagine the confusion, the terror among the people in downtown Manhattan on that tragic day. Viewing
- [A Pinpoint of Light](https://www.bobgillen.net/a-pinpoint-of-light/) - What I'm reading Last week I read William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land. A terrific read! I’m no book reviewer, and I’ll leave it to you to do a search for one. There are many, I’m sure. But here are a few of my thoughts. The story is set in the summer of 1932, at the
- [Every Noun Should Be a Verb](https://www.bobgillen.net/every-noun-should-be-a-verb/) - “I love a good verb. In fact, I think all nouns should be verbs.” So says bio-architect Neri Oxman. She leads a creative team in MIT’s Media Lab, where they research and develop structural building elements from natural materials. Of verbs, Oxman says, for example, the word Nature should be Naturing. Mother Nature, as in
- [I Had the Cancer in the 1980s](https://www.bobgillen.net/i-had-the-cancer-in-the-1980s/) - I am in the middle of an online writing course offered by the University of Iowa. The course is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) from the International Writing Program (IWP) there. The course is titled: Hidden Meanings: Creative Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Facts. This will be my second writing course with IWP. I find them
- [A Card on Mother's Day](https://www.bobgillen.net/a-card-on-mothers-day/) - Here's another short story I wrote for my online writing course through the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. The program offers excellent feedback from other participants. So worth it! I hope you enjoy it. A Card on Mother's Day You shouldn’t have wasted your money on flowers. They’ll only die. Mom tells
- [Mannequin Monday - Dressing the Page](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday/) - Mannequin Monday. A day to dress the blank page. To fill the empty screen. To chip away at the block of stone. To shape the blob of clay. The mannequin’s purpose is to be draped by the dresser. Blank media exists for the artist. Let’s fill and shape, let’s make art, with our words, our
- [Mannequin Monday - If I Knew the Way](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-if-i-knew-the-way/) - Here we are at another Mannequin Monday. Dressing the page this week with words of yearning, searching. Homesick for our place in the world. "If I knew the way, I would take you home." Homesickness 1. This Week's Reading: I read Sarah Ruhl's poem "Homesickness" in Narrative magazine. 2. Discussion: Sarah Ruhl’s poem touches a
- [Mannequin Monday - Opening Lines](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-opening-lines/) - Hi. Mannequin Monday again. Dressing the blank page. Making art. Welcome back. I love a good opening line. Pulls you right into the story. One of my favorites is the first sentence of Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. "He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he
- [Mannequin Monday - My Enemy Became My Teacher](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-my-enemy-became-my-teacher/) - Mannequin Monday Welcome to another week as we dress the blank page, fill the canvas with color, shape the block of clay. This week is all about the face of the enemy. The face of awareness, of forgiveness. The enemy as teacher. This Week's Reading This week I read a story in Narrative magazine titled
- [Mannequin Monday - The Spirit Pauses](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-the-spirit-pauses/) - Mannequin Monday - The Spirit Pauses This week we dress the mannequin, the bare page, with words of peace, of mindfulness. Words of comfort in a time of stress. A moment for our collective spirits to pause. This Week's Reading I discovered the (very) short stories of Lydia Davis this week on conjunctions.com. Quite enjoyable.
- [Mannequin Monday - Adventures in Filmmaking](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-adventures-in-filmmaking/) - Mannequin Monday - Adventures in Filmmaking Welcome to another Mannequin Monday. Today we dress the naked form, the blank page, with both words and moving images. A quote from author/painter Huguette Martel's graphic story, Adventures of a Would-be Filmmaker: "When I die, and if there is life after death, I want to finally be able
- [Mannequin Monday - You Need an Idea](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-you-need-an-idea/) - Mannequin Monday - You Need an Idea Another Mannequin Monday. This week we look at shaping ideas into tactile form. Sculptor Steven Whyte works from his studio in Carmel, California. Molding clay into sculpture. Dancer Twyla Tharp speaks of her creative process. Shaping movement into dance. "Scratching" to find ideas to kickstart the creative process.
- [Mannequin Monday - After the Light Cracks the Sky](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-after-the-light-cracks-the-sky/) - Mannequin Monday - After the Light Cracks the Sky This week on Mannequin Monday we dress the naked form with words of poetry. The work of Maria Hummel, novelist and poet, and the poems of Naomi Nye. Both pen words that can comfort us in these days of fear and quarantine. And to cap the
- [Mannequin Monday - Africa Rasta Hair Salon](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-2/) - Mannequin Monday - Africa Rasta Hair Salon Another mannequin waiting for someone to dress it. Words, sketches, clay, film, whatever media you choose. This week features a short story by writer, dramaturge and activist Bibish Marie-Louise Mumbu. And a brief interview with photographer Mark Seliger, done for The Creative Process. Lastly, a piece of my
- [Mannequin Monday - Last Flight from Bordeaux](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-last-flight-from-bordeaux/) - Mannequin Monday - Last Flight from Bordeaux This week we have fun dressing the blank page with colorful graphic stories and illustrations. Artist Sofia Warren brings us Last Flight from Bordeaux. Warren documents her attempts to leave France and get back home to the States in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. And cartoonist Liza
- [Mannequin Monday - A Sense of Compassion](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-a-sense-of-compassion/) - Mannequin Monday - A Sense of Compassion Clothing our blank forms again, with an awareness of suffering. A sense of compassion. This week's short story Friendship and Art comes from Alan Ziegler, courtesy of Narrative magazine. This week's interview is from NPR, Scott Simon talking to Dr. Suzanne Koven, formerly with Massachusetts General Hospital. And
- [Mannequin Monday - Dreams Too Large to Carry](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-dreams-too-large-to-carry/) - Mannequin Monday - Dreams Too Large to Carry Welcome to one more Mannequin Monday. Our theme continues. We find ways to dress the blank form. To cover the mannequin, to write the words, to shape the sculpture, to create the sketch, to take the photo or make the film. Today our fiction piece - again
- [Mannequin Monday - A Pivotal Choice](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-a-pivotal-choice/) - Mannequin Monday - A Pivotal Choice The naked form, the blank page. Time to dress them again. Dress with your narrative. Your point of view. Your expression of self. You as artist, making art. This week we take a look at four exciting, award-winning stories from teens. Courtesy again of Narrative magazine. Plus, Donald Maass
- [Mannequin Monday - Ocean, You Owe Me a Body](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-ocean-you-owe-me-a-body/) - Mannequin Monday - Ocean, You Owe Me a Body Welcome to another week of Mannequin Monday. The place where we drape the naked form with words, images, shapes, texture. The magic of story. Today, the featured story starts where sea meets land. We drape the form with wet sand, with overpowering sea water, with "landlocked
- [Mannequin Monday - Read One Book Before I Die](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-read-one-book-before-i-die/) - Mannequin Monday - Read One Book Before I Die A Monday that stands out. Memorial Day. Starting the week with story. Clothing the naked form with our words, images, clay, pencil. To honor our fallen military heroes, I found a couple of stories you may enjoy. One about an old veteran who never forgets, that
- [Mannequin Monday - Take Me Home](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-take-me-home/) - Mannequin Monday - Take Me Home Hey, here we are for another Mannequin Monday. We come back every Monday to find more words, more ideas, more inspiration to dress that blank form. Today we shape our words to describe roads. Dirt roads. Streets. Highways. The road to finding oneself. First up is a poem by
- [Mannequin Monday - The Driver and the Passenger](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-the-driver-and-the-passenger/) - Mannequin Monday - The Driver and the Passenger Welcome back for another Mannequin Monday. Today we dress the blank form, the empty page, with art and image. Writer/artist Austin Kleon inspired me with one of his recent blog posts. He focused on artist David Hockney's photo collage Pearblossom Hwy., 11 - 18th April 1986, #2.
- [Mannequin Monday - Ebony Fingers on White Keys](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-ebony-fingers-on-white-keys/) - Mannequin Monday - Ebony Fingers on White Keys Hi. Welcome back to Mannequin Monday. Our ongoing goal here is dressing the blank form: words, images, clay, paint, movement. This week I will again rely on images to spark creativity. Today starts with artist and writer Austin Kleon, who continues to inspire me. He recently posted
- [Mannequin Monday - I Never Liked You](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-i-never-liked-you/) - Mannequin Monday - I Never Liked You Post #19 for Mannequin Monday. Join me as I dress the blank page. As I highlight others who drape the blank form with their words. Today, a short story I like from Alex Kidman, titled The Beach. "Behind me, I could hear the noise of another bottle being
- [Mannequin Monday - Sit Quietly in a Room Alone](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-sit-quietly-in-a-room-alone/) - Mannequin Monday - Sit Quietly in a Room Alone Monday rolls around again. I dress the bare mannequin with words I found from novelist Louise Penny. I'm re-reading How the Light Gets In. Also, I again take inspiration from Austin Kleon, who quotes Blasé Pascal: All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit
- [Mannequin Monday - Who Tells Your Story](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-who-tells-your-story/) - Mannequin Monday - Who Tells Your Story Once again, creating the word on Mannequin Monday. This week, Africa-based fantasy fiction, with Nnedi Okorafor sharing her stories and her journey. And viewing Hamilton this weekend got me thinking about some of the show's lyrics. George Washington sings of Alexander Hamilton, "You have no control who lives,
- [Mannequin Monday - I’ve never felt any magic before](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-ive-never-felt-any-magic-before/) - Mannequin Monday - I’ve never felt any magic before A tiny yellow flower in a sidewalk crack brings hope to a boy and an old man. The story "City of Silence" comes from Teen Ink to open another week of Mannequin Monday. In the ashes of a devastated city, "one day there will be life
- [Mannequin Monday - It's Just as Well](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-its-just-as-well/) - Mannequin Monday - It's Just as Well "Show us a world we've never seen before." A sense of place in writing. Not simply setting. A place. A world. Almost a character in itself. This Mannequin Monday finds us working on creating worlds with our words. I visit one of Louise Penny's novels, The Long Way
- [Mannequin Monday - Come See Where I Live](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-come-see-where-i-live/) - Mannequin Monday - Come See Where I Live Robert Frost once said about writing: “a poem is never a put-up job—it begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.” Mannequin Monday this week looks at the brokenness at the heart of any impactful poem or story. I include
- [Mannequin Monday - Let His Characters Speak](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-let-his-characters-speak/) - Mannequin Monday - Let His Characters Speak A defining characteristic of Ernest Hemingway's writing style: "His decision to let his characters speak." So says writer Justin Rice on Hemingway's use of dialogue. This week I also look at Elmore Leonard. He writes dialogue rich in action and light on description. And I offer another sample
- [Mannequin Monday - What Lasts?](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-what-lasts/) - Mannequin Monday - What Lasts? "How does your work affect the world?" Writer and marketing coach Dan Blank asks us to consider on this Mannequin Monday: "What will people remember of your writing?" And I suggest that one lyric of songwriter Leonard Cohen offers a perspective on a writer's impact. Finally, I share an excerpt
- [Mannequin Monday - The Wonder of Re-Reading a Novel](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-the-wonder-of-re-reading-a-novel/) - Mannequin Monday - The Wonder of Re-Reading a Novel In our creative work we give form to feelings. In writing, music, sculpting, painting, photography, film. "We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect." Anaïs Nin. This week Mannequin Monday looks at the wonder of re-reading a novel. I re-visit authors Louise
- [Mannequin Monday - A Girl, My Lord, in a Flatbed Ford](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-a-girl-my-lord-in-a-flatbed-ford/) - Mannequin Monday - A Girl, My Lord, in a Flatbed Ford My Lord, our mannequin drives a flatbed Ford this week. Ride along as words dress her story. “Stuff your eyes with wonder… live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds.” Words from Ray Bradbury. Today's Mannequin Monday is a mashup of song lyrics,
- [Mannequin Monday - All the Prisoners Got One](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-all-the-prisoners-got-one/) - Mannequin Monday - All the Prisoners Got One Take me somewhere I've never been. This is what I look for in a story. Werner Sonne has written a fine novel on the post-WWII division of Palestine to create the Israeli state. This week on Mannequin Monday we clothe our story in the garb of an
- [Mannequin Monday - If stupid were sand...](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-if-stupid-were-sand/) - Mannequin Monday - If stupid were sand... Putting a grin on our faces isn't easy these days. I share a few lines of humor from two books I recently read. Authors James McBride with Deacon King Kong and Louise Penny with All the Devils Are Here drape our weekly mannequin in smiles. And I offer
- [Mannequin Monday - The Whisper of Bones](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-the-whisper-of-bones/) - Mannequin Monday - The Whisper of Bones "Come to Paris. Your sister is dead." The opening lines from Elle Marr's debut novel The Missing Sister. This week we clothe our mannequin with words, stories set in Paris, We visit three novels, two historical, one contemporary, all set in the City of Light. And can we
- [Mannequin Monday - It's Best Not to Talk](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-its-best-not-to-talk/) - Mannequin Monday - It's Best Not to Talk "So why then does he feel he is on his way to perdition and not paradise?" We're dressing our mannequin, our story framework, with words from an emerging Irish writer. The Irish Independent celebrates David Ralph's "Taghazout" this week. And I offer my own short story "It's
- [Mannequin Monday - Scars Tell a Story](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-scars-tell-a-story/) - Mannequin Monday - Scars Tell a Story "A shuddering ripple, a thrill of strength." Rainer Maria Rilke's description of Auguste Rodin's sculptures. Mannequin Monday this week examines the work of Rodin, with implications for authors. I offer my own story, Scars Tell a Story, where I try to absorb some of Rodin's artistic outlooks into
- [Mannequin Monday - Two Sisters, Two Strangers](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-two-sisters-two-strangers/) - Mannequin Monday - Two Sisters, Two Strangers "You can't put life on a piece of paper. Or love." A mother facing death in the concentration camps writes to her daughter Rose, who escaped to America. This week Mannequin Monday explores the play A Shayna Maidel, by Barbara Lebow. We dress our mannequin with the power
- [Mannequin Monday - What Country, Friends, Is This?](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-what-country-friends-is-this/) - Mannequin Monday - What Country, Friends, Is This? "An apple, cleft in two, is not more twin than these two creatures." The story of twin siblings drapes our bare mannequin this week. A classic romantic comedy: Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. And from my own writing, I offer an excerpt from my novel Apart, with references
- [Mannequin Monday - The Silence Between Notes](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-the-silence-between-notes/) - Mannequin Monday - The Silence Between Notes Is there music in the space between the notes? Can we hear music in the silences between heartbeats? British bandleader Jools Holland talks with other musicians during the COVID lockdown. This week we drape our bare mannequin in the cloak of silence. And I offer writing of my
- [Mannequin Monday - The Prison She Built For Herself](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-the-prison-she-built-for-herself/) - Mannequin Monday - The Prison She Built For Herself "Write hard and clear about what hurts." Advice from Ernest Hemingway. Looking this week for the hurt in our story. The hurt in our characters. The hurt masked by our mannequin's facade. I am reading Under a Gilded Moon, historical fiction set in North Carolina in
- [Mannequin Monday - What I'm Not Reading](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-what-im-not-reading/) - Mannequin Monday - What I'm Not Reading We don't always like the first outfit we try on. The same holds true for dressing our mannequin with words. The first words don't always suit our taste. This Mannequin Monday I talk about books I have not finished. And, as always, I offer you a bit of
- [Mannequin Monday - Nocturnes](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-nocturnes/) - Mannequin Monday - Nocturnes This week our mannequin is clothed with words and draped with sound. The verbal focus is Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall. The auditory note comes from jazz vocalist Veronica Swift. And I again offer a bit of my own writing: "The Necklace." What I'm Reading This Week I am
- [Mannequin Monday - Be Still](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-be-still/) - Mannequin Monday - Be Still Turn down the volume and listen to the silence. Mannequin Monday brings us a note of quiet this week. Drape the form in soft fabric. In words that rise out of the silence in our hearts. A moment of stillness. A few words from a biblical psalm help us be
- [Mannequin Monday - A Frozen Moment in Time](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-a-frozen-moment-in-time/) - Mannequin Monday - A Frozen Moment in Time Disability awareness and inclusion clothe our mannequin this week. We examine how comics in particular have expanded to include who we are collectively. The focus is on The Silver Scorpion, written by Ron Marz. And I offer a character sketch on a teen with limb difference. What
- [Mannequin Monday - Here's Joe Cool...](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-heres-joe-cool/) - Mannequin Monday - Here's Joe Cool... Here's Joe Cool, appearing in the first Mannequin Monday blog post of the new year. This week, an insightful article from The Atlantic on Charles Schulz's character Snoopy. Snoopy, "realizing that he’s tired and cold and lonely and that it’s suppertime." And, as always, a writing exercise of my
- [Mannequin Monday - Take Me Somewhere...](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-take-me-somewhere/) - Mannequin Monday - Take Me Somewhere... I've never been to the catacombs of Paris. Never come face to face with the roots of Irish humor. But on this Mannequin Monday books take me where I have never been. Elle Marr, Tana French... Words don't simply clothe a blank form. They transport the viewer. And an
- [Mannequin Monday - How Quickly She Disappears](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-how-quickly-she-disappears/) - Mannequin Monday - How Quickly She Disappears So many words to drape our mannequin form this week. Books, both fiction and non-fiction. A debut novel How Quickly She Disappears. And a new Steinbeck biography. And another bit of fiction I wrote, more from my heart than usual. What I'm Reading This week I am in
- [Mannequin Monday - If people don't die right, they haunt](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-if-people-dont-die-right-they-haunt/) - Mannequin Monday - If people don't die right, they haunt Our mannequin, our framework, will perhaps remain unclothed this week. It's all about not dying right, about absence. Haunting. Quotes from Wynton Marsalis and Eddie Glaude. And a story of mine, inspired by the quotes. What I'm Reading This Week I came across this quote
- [Mannequin Monday - Amateur to the Point of Incompetence](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-amateur-to-the-point-of-incompetence/) - Mannequin Monday - Amateur to the Point of Incompetence A drug-addicted sex worker in London, bent on vengeance. We cover our blank form this week with moving images. A Blake Lively action thriller. Strong performances and a box office bomb. Mannequin Monday. And a playful story from my own pen. Not a bomb, I hope.
- [Mannequin Monday - Easy for Some](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-easy-for-some/) - Mannequin Monday - Easy for Some What's the street credibility of writers who offer advice on the craft of writing? This week published authors guide us in finding the words to drape our bare mannequin. Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Elizabeth George, Natalie Goldberg. And I offer a chapter, a character study, from a novel I'm
- [Mannequin Monday - No Car Chase Without a Driver](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-no-car-chase-without-a-driver/) - Mannequin Monday - No Car Chase Without a Driver No story without a character. This week I talk about the people who inhabit a story. The mannequin itself, before it's dressed. So many memorable characters in fiction. And I offer you a short piece inspired by a Rodin sculpture. Enjoy! What I'm Reading I remember
- [Mannequin Monday - Filling the Void](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-filling-the-void/) - Mannequin Monday - Filling the Void What do I give myself to when faced with a wide open day? How do I fill the void? A life shift offers opportunity, unexplored space. What will my story be? Storytelling makes the world go round. I'm reading News of the World. And again, I offer you another
- [Mannequin Monday - "A lot of pain in that invisibility"](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-a-lot-of-pain-in-that-invisibility/) - Mannequin Monday - "A lot of pain in that invisibility" "If you weren't so quiet, you wouldn't have searched so desperately for a way to speak." Springsteen and Obama on the Renegade podcast. A ten-year old girl in post Civil war Texas learns English to find her voice. And a chapter from my book, A
- [Mannequin Monday - You Make the Rules](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-you-make-the-rules/) - Mannequin Monday - You Make the Rules You decide what the mannequin wears. You dress the blank form. Your words. Your vision. Your rules. Advice from a business writer and from a poet. You make the rules. I mark one year of these Mannequin Monday posts today. And I offer a brief story of my
- [Mannequin Monday - Moving the Scene Along](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-moving-the-scene-along/) - Mannequin Monday - Moving the Scene Along SNL original member Laraine Newman teaches us about improv, about moving a scene along. We clothe our bare mannequin with purpose. And I offer another character sketch, this one with a touch of humor. Enjoy. What I'm Listening To I am halfway through listening to a podcast with
- [Mannequin Monday - Less is More](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-less-is-more/) - Joan Didion and Elmore Leonard encourage us to leave room in our writing for the reader's imagination. Don't overdress the blank form with smothering words. Less is more. I offer you "Showtime at the Stella." Another character sketch for Kelsey Graf. What I'm Reading I read a book of essays by Joan Didion: Let Me
- [Mannequin Monday - Only In Retrospect](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-only-in-retrospect/) - Musings on the presence of spirits in our literature and in our lives. Books by Picault, Saunders, Telgemeier. And thoughts from my creative journal. I offer a short piece on an old man dealing with dying. What I'm Reading This week my readings are a mashup of books I’ve read, my own journal entries, and
- [Mannequin Monday - Keep It on the One](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-keep-it-on-the-one/) - James Brown warns his bass player, Keep it on the one. The upbeat. You can do anything from there. The thirteenth month of pandemic, and the one is hard to find. Notes and thoughts to get us through. And an excerpt from my novel to offer a moment of excitement. What I'm Reading...or Trying To
- [Mannequin Monday - Mark Your Space](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-mark-your-space/) - Today we talk about reluctance vs. expansiveness. About presence. About marking our space. Marking, without pissing on the wall. This week's reading included poetry by Robert Desnos, the latest book by Twyla Tharp, and a romance chapter from a new author. Yes, I said romance! And, ala Hemingway, I offer you one true sentence. What
- [Mannequin Monday - "...because I'm scared shitless."](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-because-im-scared-shitless/) - Kicking off this week with a quote from poet/essayist Mary Karr's Syracuse University commencement address, 2015. A reflection: Will our lives be immortalized in the Louvre, or written on a sidewalk in chalk? What I'm Writing This Week Let me reverse the order for this week and start with my own writing, a bit of
- [Mannequin Monday - Interaction of Light and Shadow](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-interaction-of-light-and-shadow/) - Neurologist Oliver Sacks talks about adaptation in his patients. Strengths coming through as a result of disease. Studs Terkel interviews Oliver Sacks. And I offer a story bite of my own. Enjoy. What I'm Reading This week I was reading several interviews the neurologist/writer Oliver Sacks gave. In one, Studs Terkel talks to Sacks about
- [Mannequin Monday - A Day on the Cape](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-a-day-on-the-cape/) - Endings and new beginnings. A woman expects her glorious morning will turn to shit by nightfall. We dress this week's mannequin form with a touch of darkness. My story bite is inspired by several Edward Hopper paintings. Thanks for stopping by to read it. What I'm Reading This Week This week I pulled a Marie
- [Mannequin Monday - Feu! Feu!](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-feu-feu/) - My COVID-caused reading slump is over! Our mannequin is dressed with authors' written words. Words I've read! My own story bite this week is titled "Feu! Feu!" What I'm Reading I emerged from a long COVID-shutdown reading slump this week. A book from the romance genre sparked the comeback: Widow of Rose House, by Diana
- [Mannequin Monday - The Knot in His Heart](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-the-knot-in-his-heart/) - "...the smell of seaweed pressed against his face like a hand." John Sandford, describing the beach at dawn, in Ocean Prey. Notable quotes from recent thrillers. My latest story bite: "The Knot in His Heart." What I'm Reading I am enjoying a few more mystery/thrillers this week. One worth mentioning: John Sandford's Ocean Prey, an
- [Mannequin Monday - City Sidewalks](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-city-sidewalks/) - An old woman selling flowers on a city sidewalk. A fresh college grad at a new job. Life ain't what it seems. I offer this week's story bite, "City Sidewalks." And a few fun quotes from mystery novels I'm reading. What I'm Reading I always enjoy humor, especially snark, in a novel. Here are a
- [Mannequin Monday - How to Howl](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-how-to-howl/) - The joy of making noise! This week our bare mannequin is draped not in words but in a joyous howling. Howling simply because it can. And I pass on an inspiring quote from Agnes De Mille in a letter to Martha Graham. What I'm Writing This Week I'm sharing a 100-word piece I wrote for
- [Mannequin Monday - I play her guitar](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-i-play-her-guitar/) - 5:55 p.m. Supermarket checker Lari talks addiction recovery with a customer. A story bite of mine. And I visit the songwriting doc It All Begins with a Song. It's all about the thriving artist colony that is the Nashville songwriting community. What I'm Writing This Week I'm sharing another story bite, this one inspired by
- [Mannequin Monday - Ah, forgive me](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-ah-forgive-me/) - An elegant restaurant, a special date...and it all goes downhill after meeting the chef. A tale of aversions. My current story bite. This week I'm re-reading a book I first discovered almost 40 years ago: The Outermost House, by Henry Beston. He spent a full year on a Cape Cod beach over 90 years ago.
- [Mannequin Monday - This can't be fixed.](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-this-cant-be-fixed/) - Our mannequin carries a heavy burden this week, clothed in grief, little consolation from words of wisdom. Only a couple of sentences to light the way: "Some things in life cannot be fixed. They can only be carried." What I'm Writing This Week I offer you another story bite, "The Talk of People in the
- [Mannequin Monday - "Next!"](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-next/) - Popular TV personalities aren't always what they seem. I share my story bite "Hold It Down" about an encounter gone awry. And I write about two actual encounters I've had with celebrity. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy! What I'm Writing Hold It Down After two hours, Sam finally reached the head of the line for
- [Mannequin Monday - Neither Immortal Nor Infertile](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-neither-immortal-nor-infertile/) - "The truth of things can only be expressed...in story, picture, film, dance, music." Thomas Moore. A summer intern hits a few speed bumps on her path to a business career. Our mannequin is dressed for success this week. What I'm Writing I'm sharing another story bite. Bits and pieces of memory in a fictional framework.
- [Mannequin Monday - From the Inside Out](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-from-the-inside-out/) - I have a spirit that walks with me outdoors. This week's mannequin takes on spirit form. What I'm Writing I've been experimenting with writing exercises and prompts this week. I am one week into a four-week program that uses prompts to kick start writing. It's not journaling, as such. More like pulling up "raw material,"
- [Mannequin Monday - Reddy is Gone!](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-reddy-is-gone/) - Our mannequin this week takes the form of a teacher enduring yet another back-to-school night with her fifth graders' parents. And I offer comments on two mysteries I read. Welcome back. What I'm Writing Back to school night. Always fraught with tension, even for an experienced teacher. I hope you enjoy this story bite. The
- [Mannequin Monday - Find Your Light](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-find-your-light/) - In this week's story bite, Milo sits waiting for his voice to return. Knowing it will not. And I offer comments on Daniel Silva's new book The Cellist. What I'm Writing Here's a story-bite sequel to a story titled Sawdust that I first posted on this blog in February 2020. Maurice and Milo are back
- [Mannequin Monday - Help me. Please!](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-help-me-please/) - Distance runner Maggie Murano spends her first night in rehab after knee surgery. And quotes from a book I finished reading this week. Welcome back to Mannequin Monday. Draping the blank form with the beauty of words. What I'm Writing Another story bite, this one a first night in a rehab facility. Enjoy a moment
- [Mannequin Monday - on hiatus](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-on-hiatus/) - Hi. Mannequin Monday will be on hiatus from now till just after Labor Day in early September. A needed break, a breather before the summer ends. See you soon. Thanks for checking in. Bob Gillen
- [Mannequin Monday - First Words](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-first-words/) - We kick off another week. Our bare mannequin is draped with the story of a parrot's first words. A New York parrot. Yes, language! What I'm Writing Today I'm sharing a fun story. I hope it gives you a smile as you start your week. A Parrot's First Words Bob Gillen I’ve heard longtime residents
- [Mannequin Monday - Half Pepperoni](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-half-pepperoni/) - This Monday our mannequin stops for pizza before catching a flight back to LA. Two surviving brothers share a moment after yet another family funeral. What I'm Writing Here's a writing exercise I did for a course I'm taking with my writing group. The goal was to create a story around a memory shared by
- [Mannequin Monday - Out of Sight](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-out-of-sight/) - This week I clothe the bare form with words I wrote 10 years ago. What I'm Writing I'd like to share a writing exercise I found this week from an old notebook. It's dated October 24, 2011. The writing prompt was "Out of sight, out of mind." It clearly needs polishing, but I will post
- [Mannequin Monday - Full Moon](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-full-moon/) - October. The month of hauntings. Ghosts. Spooky visions. Ichabod Crane fleeing in fright through Sleepy Hollow. I am aiming to offer a Halloween story every week this month. Today, Straw Man. Mannequin Photo Credit: Dennis Duchet, CNN What I'm Writing I offer a Halloween story for your reading enjoyment. A short read for busy people.
- [Mannequin Monday - James the Invisible](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-james-the-invisible/) - What I'm Planning I am working on a redesign of this blog. I want to move away from the Mannequin Monday theme and make the tone more heartfelt. A bit warmer. More on the redesign next week. I'll continue posting a short short story every week, and maybe offer more thoughts on my reading and
- [Mannequin Monday - The October Tree](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-the-october-tree/) - What I'm Writing In keeping with my October Halloween-themed stories, here's one inspired in part by my friend Caroline. Maddie and Lyndie are two characters from my teen Film Crew series. This story serves as a kind of character study as I explore their personalities further. I hope you enjoy it. The October Tree Bob
- [Mannequin Monday - Pink Lady](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-pink-lady/) - What I'm Writing I offer you another Halloween-themed story. Desmond dodges trick-or-treaters, and encounters a woman in scrubs at Harry's Bar and Grill. A note of caution: mature content. Enjoy. Pink Lady Bob Gillen Desmond flipped on his TV to a live ball game. A cold sixpack waited for him in the fridge. Pure heaven.
- [shortfiction24 - half a keyboard](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-half-a-keyboard/) - #post_excerptStory about orchestra pit piano player Harry whose left hand has been numbed from a stroke. He plays melodies without the bass lines.
- [shortfiction24 - single again](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-single-again/) - A micro story about a woman facing yet another reminder of her husband's death. What I'm Writing This Week Single Again Bob Gillen Marie Reston returned home from her Starbucks run with a slice of lemon loaf and a grande Americano. Early afternoon on an October Sunday. Hours to kill till it was time to
- [shortfiction24 - the trap door](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-trap-door/) - Haillie's dreams of becoming a fearless firefighter take an early turn when she discovers the secret behind a hidden trap door. What I'm Writing This week I followed a writing exercise from Ray Bradbury. He calls it Nouns and Titles. He suggests making a list of words, then using those words to trigger a story
- [shortfiction24 - a new morning](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-new-morning/) - In today's micro story Diane Somers feels relief after returning her berserk cat Zero to the animal shelter. Relief...and emptiness. More short fiction in the Jack and Diane series. Enjoy. What I'm Writing Today Today I'm exploring a lonely moment as Diane sits at home after returning her cat to the shelter. This is #4
- [shortfiction24 - Milo in Paris](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-milo-in-paris/) - Maurice and Milo are thrilled to perform at a club in Paris. They dream of becoming a global act. Alas... What I'm Writing In February 2020 I posted a story titled "Sawdust" about my quirky characters, Maurice and Milo, a ventriloquist and his dummy. A second story followed in August 2021. Today's story is about
- [shortfiction24 - skeletons in a snowbank](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-skeletons-in-a-snowbank/) - What I'm Writing This Week A frustrated writer takes a night walk on the beach to make sense of his own story. Having fun with a mix of memory and imagination. Skeletons in a Snowbank Bob Gillen Alden pushed his chair away from the table. The screen on his laptop read, Working Title: My Memoir.
- [shortfiction24 - our last downhill run](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-our-last-downhill-run/) - What I'm Writing This Week Jared Clark is a teacher, a man of his word. He promised a student he would drop off a gift she handed him for her long-distance boyfriend while Jared attended an out-of-town conference in New York City. It cost him. Our Last Downhill Run Bob Gillen Jared Clark high-fived his
- [shortfiction24 - the goat movie](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-goat-movie/) - What I'm Writing This Week Jack and Diane are back. Jack reaches out, tries his humor on a distraught Diane. This is the pair's fifth appearance on shortfiction24. The characters continue to talk to me. The Goat Movie Bob Gillen Tears ran down Diane Somers’s face as she sipped the last of her breakfast coffee.
- [shortfiction24 - losing Maxine](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-losing-maxine/) - An art teacher has done a lesson on the power of observation a hundred times...until one student opens her eyes. What I'm Writing This Week Today's story is inspired by an old, old (worn out?) joke and by an interview I did years back with Georgia Packard, a cinematographer who was taught by Ansel Adams.
- [shortfiction24 - sweet beginnings](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-sweet-beginnings/) - This week's short story is the 62nd I've posted to this blog. And there are another ten waiting in draft form so far. I hope you are experiencing them as enjoyable, entertaining, even thoughtful. I am certainly enjoying writing them. What I'm Writing This Week A man walks into a bar to forget his breakup.
- [shortfiction24 - reduce by half](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-reduce-by-half/) - The nations of the world have been slow to act on climate change. What if they took a giant step, almost overnight? What I'm Writing This week I share with you a writing exercise I did several years ago for an online course from The University of Iowa's International Writing Program. The assignment was to
- [shortfiction24 - the day after](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-day-after/) - Kim Bailey had no tomorrows. Only days after. Days after her son's death. Seventeen years of days after. What I'm Writing This Week More musings on life and loss. Please enjoy the story. The Day After Bob Gillen Kim Bailey sat in her Toyota sedan, the engine idling, parked off the two-lane canyon road. A
- [shortfiction24 - the amber alert](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-amber-alert/) - What I'm Writing This Week This week filmmaking teens Tessa and Eric become tangled in an Amber Alert situation. Did they find the abducted baby? "The Amber Alert" features two of the teens from my Film Crew series. In book 1, Off-Road, the teens film an off-road race in the Mojave Desert while environmental activists
- [shortfiction24 - my dance space](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-my-dance-space/) - This week's short story Not all spirits move on right away. I offer you a story of two spirits intermingled after death. It's quite loosely inspired by George Saunders's book Lincoln in the Bardo. Having some fun with Vinny and Lewis, a couple of dead guys whose spirits are stuck together in the transition. Can
- [shortfiction24 - morning sun](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-morning-sun/) - What I'm Writing This Week I find Edward Hopper's paintings thought- provoking. This week I used Morning Sun as inspiration for a short story. Lori Hines finds freedom in the warmth of a morning sun. Back in May of 2021, I had used another Hopper painting, A Day on the Cape, for inspiration. Here's the
- [shortfiction24 - out of the game](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-out-of-the-game/) - What I'm Writing This Week Mike Santiago is forced to take time off from his ER shifts to care for his own kidney injury. Being out of the game is not an option for him. For all those who have to deal... Out of the Game Bob Gillen Mike Santiago took a deep breath, settled
- [shortfiction24 - state property](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-state-property/) - What I'm Writing This Week Kate Skelton waits till Spring to scatter her husband's ashes at his favorite park pond. A park ranger faces off against the feisty Kate. This story started as a man spotting a blue-beaked duck on a pond. It didn't work. He morphed into she, and the duck went away, maybe
- [shortfiction24 - shaping a story](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-carving-a-story/) - I offer a collage, a convergence, of past work for this week's post. On LinkedIn yesterday I saw a reference to a sculptor named Michelle Millay, who works in the film industry. I interviewed Michelle in May of 2013 for my website on filmmaking. Her sculpting work is featured on movies like Batman and Robin
- [shortfiction24 - why am I doing this?](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-why-am-i-doing-this/) - This Week's Short Story A mother embraces the return of her college-age daughter, whom she had not seen in a year. They reunite on Nantucket Island, each struggling with her own mistakes. Why Am I Doing This? Bob Gillen Shit. Why am I doing this? Riley Riggins had the text on her phone memorized by
- [shortfiction24 - the flatbed ford](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-flatbed-ford/) - This Week's Story Almost two years ago I posted a story about a girl in a flatbed Ford. Back in the day, when I called this blog Mannequin Monday. More recently I revised it to take the two characters in a different direction. Matt Briggs is hitching from northern California to Los Angeles in search
- [shortfiction24 - torn and shredded](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-torn-and-shredded/) - What I'm Writing This Week DeSean arrives at a monastery to rest for a few days after a grueling week-long writer's retreat. Inspiration totally eludes him. He is desperate to find a compelling plot line for his novel. A dead monk helps him. This week I share a story from the first person point of DeSean arrives at a monastery to rest for a few days after a grueling week-long writer's retreat. Inspiration totally eludes him. He is desperate for finding a compelling plot line for his novel.
- [shortfiction24 - a rosary of names](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-rosary-of-names/) - What I'm Writing This Week A teen tries to make sense of her father's death and the murder of eleven school kids by making a film. Can new life come from this? The story is my own way of dealing with the senseless and continual tragedies in our nation. A Rosary of Names Bob Gillen
- [shortfiction24 - just another movie shoot](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-just-another-movie-shoot/) - Have you ever blundered into an awkward situation? Casey Romero found herself in the middle of a film shoot, on camera in a classroom scene. An imposter syndrome magnified! Enjoy the short read. I'm back from a month's hiatus and will post a fresh story every week. Stay tuned. Just Another Movie Shoot Bob Gillen
- [shortfiction24 - my bag is packed](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-my-bag-is-packed/) - Five years ago I published a play on Amazon Kindle titled Buried Lies. The story traced a young man's efforts to learn about the father he had lost 16 years before. The youth made a film about his dad, about his search for his legacy, about the raw discovery of his dad's lover. Earlier this
- [shortfiction24 - mi volvo es muy mal](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-mi-volvo-es-muy-mal/) - This story marks #6 in the Jack and Diane series. The two met on a 50+ dating app a few months before this story occurs. I did not set out to create a series for these two characters, but they continue to live in my writing mind. Enjoy! You can read the first five stories
- [shortfiction24 - jam the axle](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-jam-the-axle/) - Do you ever dream of being a hero? Tommy Trafficone did. Every day. And then he got his chance. Enjoy a lighthearted story. Jam the Axle Bob Gillen Tommy Trafficone was born to serve. From his earliest moments, he saw family, friends, others like him, protecting the public. With pride. Young Tommy grew restless, itching
- [shortfiction24 - too small for the backhoe](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-too-small-for-the-backhoe/) - Ray and Manny are cemetery workers, digging graves by hand today. The aftermath of yet another school shooting. A short, short story that helps me deal with the horrors we inflict on one another in our country. I hope it speaks to you too. Too Small for the Backhoe Bob Gillen Ray tossed a couple
- [shortfiction24 - James, still invisible](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-james-still-invisible/) - Today I am re-running a story that received positive comments a year ago. Halloween, and James is trying hard to catch the eye of a curly-haired redhead from his high school class. James the Invisible Bob Gillen James the Invisible sat in Science lab, partnered with Dawn, the curly haired redhead. Dawn, the only person
- [shortfiction24 - fire on ice](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-fire-on-ice/) - Stacy is nursing a grudge against Marie when a brushfire traps them deep in an ice skating pond. I recently found this story in my older files. I wrote it 30 years ago, in 1992, for a writing class I was taking. The story needs revising, but I share it with you as an example
- [shortfiction24 - not ready for us yet](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-not-ready-for-us-yet/) - This past May we left the spirits of Vinny and Lewis tangled together after their cremated ashes were intermingled at the crematorium. They are struggling to separate and continue their journeys to the next world. Nothing has worked so far. Here's the link to the original story. Enjoy their further escapades. I should note that
- [shortfiction24 - bridle path](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-bridle-path/) - This week I’ll pass on my usual short story post. I’m sharing instead a tiny scrap of memoir, inspired by Edward Hopper’s 1939 painting Bridle Path. I’ve long been a fan of Hopper’s art, yet I know little of his life or the extent of his work. I came across Bridle Path by accident on
- [shortfiction24 - puttin' on the ritz](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-more-on-jack-and-diane/) - It's been a while since I posted any weekly short stories here. Sorry for the gap. Several medical issues cropped up. One has been resolved, another is ongoing but under control. I plan to begin posting again right after the new year begins. Look for more on Jack and Diane, still dating, still struggling to
- [shortfiction24 - two strikes](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-two-strikes/) - I used Edward Hopper's well-known painting 'Nighthawks' as inspiration for this story. WWII Army vet Dan nurses the pain of rejection in an all-night diner, where he meets an intriguing woman ship welder. Two Strikes Bob Gillen Three nights after his discharge from the Army at the end of World War II, Dan sat at
- [shortfiction24 - stuck in a sunbaked rut](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-stuck-in-a-sunbaked-rut/) - In Shelly Francis's recent newsletter, I found a quote from poet David Whyte: Poetry is often the art of overhearing yourself say things you didn't know you knew. It is a learned skill to force yourself to articulate your life, your present world or your possibilities for the future. The quote reminded me of The
- [shortfiction24 - chasing freedom on a city bus](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-chasing-freedom-on-a-city-bus/) - Jennifer Bailey needs a passing grade in her History course. Senior citizen Mrs. Rice drags her along on a bus ride and helps her create a moment in history. I wrote this story a few years ago. It's a bit longer than my usual offering. I hope you enjoy it. Chasing Freedom on a City
- [shortfiction24 - boogie woogie resting place](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-boogie-woogie-resting-place/) - Siblings Sarah and David are desperate to find a final resting place for their mom's cremains. Music offers a solution. I hope you enjoy the story. Thanks for reading. Boogie Woogie Resting Place Bob Gillen Two teen siblings, backpacks slung over their shoulders, trudged the length of the St. Pancras mall in the heart of
- [shortfiction24 - a soldier's wife](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-soldiers-wife/) - Agnes Morissey comes home to an empty house, with her husband away at basic training. No amount of prayer and pleading had kept him out of the draft. She has held back some of her letters. He has enough to deal with without her passing on her own frustration. A Soldier's Wife Bob Gillen The
- [shortfiction24 - no more regrets](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-no-more-regrets/) - Finn's day turns around when he meets a deep sea fisherman on Artie's bait barge. Today's story is an homage to Steinbeck and Hemingway, characters very loosely based on characters from the two American authors: Steinbeck's Doc and Hemingway's Santiago. Enjoy the story! No More Regrets Bob Gillen Finn eased his nineteen foot Boston Whaler
- [shortfiction24 - voiced by a lesbian comic](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-voiced-by-a-lesbian-comic/) - Milo finds a new voice in a lesbian standup comic. Change doesn't come easily. I’ve mentioned before, some of my stories have turned into series. The characters keep talking to me. I don’t have a story or character arc planned out. The continuing stories arise as they do. Milo lost his beloved Maurice on stage
- [shortfiction24 - heaven ain't all joy](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-heaven-aint-all-joy/) - A woman struggles in the afterlife as she grieves for the family she left behind. This story came to me when I woke up this morning. It doesn't get any fresher. I have often pondered the afterlife. Pure being. What does that mean? Enjoy the short story! Heaven Ain't All Joy Bob Gillen I am
- [shortfiction24 - my shoe is on the roof](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-my-shoe-is-on-the-roof/) - This week I reach deep into my own archives for a fun story about a girl who loses her shoe just before she is up for a class presentation. Enjoy the story. By now I am coming up on just short of 90 free stories I have posted to the blog over the last three
- [shortfiction24 - why I write](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-why-i-write/) - Why I Write This week my short stories yield to a few personal comments on writing. I have several stories in the works, all of which need endings. Coming soon. Today I attempt to answer the question: why do I write? I don’t have a single answer for that. It has varied over time. Varied
- [shortfiction24 - Ashley plans for her transition](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-ashley-plans-for-her-transition/) - Searching for a college is a daunting task for Ashley. A poor GPA and an upcoming gender transition narrow her choices dramatically. College night at her high school is a bleak experience until she meets an unlikely possibility. Ashley Plans For Her Transition Bob Gillen Megan pulled her Prius into a spot in the school’s
- [shortfiction24 - we gotta go, lady](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-we-gotta-go-lady/) - Rosa Merced is riding home on the subway on a frigid January night after another twelve hour day at the office. She did not expect to come face to face with a dying man. This story was inspired by a newspaper article I read years back in NYC. Don't recall if it was legit news
- [shortfiction24 - and they were gone](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-and-they-were-gone/) - Vinny and Lewis's spirits are entangled due to a mixup at the crematorium, Tangled, and trapped in Vinny's backyard, they can't move on to the spirit world till Lewis finds the rest of his ashes. Along comes Fanny to help. This is the third and final story in a three-part series. The early parts ran
- [shortfiction24 - how're you holding up?](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-howre-you-holding-up/) - Mary Bering could not bear to hear one more person ask her, "How're you holding up?" She wore her smile like a veneer, covering the deep grief of losing her beloved partner. Mary planned her own disappearance. This story is for all those who deal with a grief hidden under the surface. All those tired
- [shortfiction24 - a first responder's terror memory](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-first-responder-terror-memory/) - Officer Paul Kim will live with the memory of torn and bloodied children for the rest of his life. I responded to a prompt challenge this week to write a one-hundred word story. And always in the back of my mind, Hemingway's advice: 'write hard and clear about what hurts.' This subject hurts. Deeply. I
- [shortfiction24 - just ask her](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-just-ask-her/) - On a lunch break at the racetrack, three young groundskeepers talking about their sandwiches leads to talking about sex. Follow Dennis, Paulie, Mark as Dennis tries to tell Paulie how lucky he really is. AUTHOR NOTE: MATURE CONTENT Just Ask Her Bob Gillen Dennis took a healthy bite of his sandwich. Roast beast on rye
- [shortfiction24 - an act of kindness, returned](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-an-act-of-kindness-returned/) - Gina Rubin's comfortable life is about to be upturned by a single act of kindness. She opened her door to find a mannequin. A mannequin who talks. This story resulted from another writing prompt I came across last week. "When I opened the door, I never expected to be hit by 'that'." I hope you
- [shortfiction24 - santiago's bones](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-santiagos-bones/) - Leland Strong's quest for a moment of genuine prayer leads him to reflections on Hemingway's fisherman Santiago, A somber story of an old man's search for the meaning of his life. Enjoy the story. Comments are always welcome. Santiagos' Bones Bob Gillen Eighty-two year-old Leland Strong sat in the last row of the empty church.
- [shortfiction24 - a stairway to money](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-stairway-to-money/) - A client brings P.I. Frank Derringer a new case, and a chance at a lucrative bonus. My attempt at noir. Please enjoy the story. Comments always welcome. A Stairway to Money Bob Gillen The stairway echoed with the clang of dress shoes on the steel steps. Frank Derringer reached the third floor landing where his
- [shortfiction24 - a boy and his knife](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-boy-and-his-knife/) - The boy finds a fishing knife and uses it, treasures it all summer. Easy come, easy go? This story was also inspired by a writing prompt: "What does a character carry in his pocket?" I hope you enjoy it. Comments and Likes always welcome. A Boy and His Knife Bob Gillen The twelve year old
- [shortfiction24 - shot dead in the ER](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-shot-dead-in-the-er/) - Riley Rowan did not expect to die in her own ER. The spirits were ready to escort her to the afterlife. Riley had other thoughts. I hope you enjoy the short story. Comments and Likes are always welcome. And for all you short-film makers out there, my stories are available for rights. Shot Dead in
- [shortfiction24 - the girls on the beach](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-girls-on-the-beach/) - Neal brags to Danny about his recent three-way. Danny is unimpressed. Enjoy the short story. Comments and Likes welcome. And watch for my new newsletter, coming very soon. Get my stories delivered straight to your inbox. The signup form is on my website sidebar: https://www.bobgillen.net The Girls on the Beach Bob Gillen “Real burger
- [shortfiction24 - not again](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-not-again/) - Molly struggles to deal with the sudden appearance of her unwanted clone. This story began as a writing prompt about a scary story. I hope you enjoy it. And on the blog site you can sign up for my new newsletter, which I will begin sending shortly. Thanks for reading. Not Again Bob Gillen Molly
- [shortfiction24 - Marina's first oner](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-marinas-first-oner/) - Steadicam operator Marina Cabrera steps in to replace Tyler, a male operator, for a tracking shot on a film set. He is furious over being replaced, but Marina aces the shot. The photo shows real-life Steadicam operator Jessica Lopez, whom I interviewed for my filmmaker site ten years ago. Enjoy the story. Comments welcome. And
- [shortfiction24 - a scar to keep a memory alive](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-scar-to-remember-the-day/) - A pissed off young man terrorizes a school bus full of children when he shoots the driver and threatens all the children on board. Enjoy the story. You can sign up for my new weekly newsletter and receive these stories directly to your inbox every Wednesday. No interference from unpredictable algorithms. And bonus material. Sign
- [shortfiction24 - a teacher's ghost on campus](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-teachers-ghost-on-campus/) - Three teens making a scary film on their high school campus come face to face with the ghost of a deceased teacher. Enjoy the story. I took a few weeks off at the end of August to rest and re-create. Back on track now. I will post here every Friday. My newsletter will go up
- [shortfiction24 - the power of the universe](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-power-of-the-universe/) - While Riley MacLean waits for her biopsy results, she muses on how the universe has impacted her life. Enjoy the story. And check out my blog site for the signup for my Wednesday newsletter. Be the first to read my stories each week. The Power of the Universe Bob Gillen Riley MacLean sat on a
- [shortfiction24 - a bedtime story](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-bedtime-story/) - Sara reads to her boy Ethan every night at bedtime. It doesn't get any easier. Enjoy the short, short story. And don't forget, you can sign for my weekly newsletter here. A Bedtime Story Bob Gillen Sara and Justin sat shoulder to shoulder on their couch, relaxing after the end of a long work day.
- [shortfiction24 - the man in the door](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-man-in-the-door/) - I wrote this story over ten years ago. It has sat idle on Amazon Kindle for years. I pulled it off there so I could post it here. A young boy, Robbie Santangelo, wants to write a story that will land him a place on the school newspaper. The traveling Vietnam Wall is in town.
- [shortfiction24 - she called me bobby mcgee](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-she-called-me-bobby-mcgee/) - I let my imagination run for this week's story. "Me and Bobby McGee" is one of my favorite songs. Lyrics that tell a touching story, a lost love. I don't usually write in first person POV. I find it challenging. I hope you enjoy it. And don't forget you can sign for my weekly newsletter
- [shortfiction24 - what a stupid thing to say](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-what-a-stupid-thing-to-say/) - Frank was enjoying a book and a coffee when a kid's overheard comment sent him spiraling down a regrettable memory. The stupid words we can't take back. Enjoy the story. What a Stupid Thing to Say Bob Gillen On an October afternoon, Frank Meek sat at a table on his local Starbucks patio, re-reading Washington
- [shortfiction24 - a meditation lost](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-meditation-lost/) - The grinding of a landscaper's wood chipper conjures images of horror movies in Carl's mind as he attempts to do a morning meditation. Everyone who meditates can appreciate how distraction seeps in to destroy the moment. Enjoy the story. A Meditation Lost Bob Gillen Carl sits in the center of his living room in the
- [shortfiction24 - i'm glad he's gone](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-im-glad-hes-gone/) - Donna Sykes tells the priest presiding at her teen son's service, "I'm glad he's gone." A boy's love of his car brings a dark cloud over the people in his life. Enjoy the story. I'm Glad He's Gone Bob Gillen The gray-haired priest stood in front of the closed casket in the crowded funeral home.
- [shortfiction24 - small-town betty](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-small-town-betty/) - The local shortline railroad that ran through Betty's town made a sharp curve within inches of her house. For over sixty years, Betty lived with this oddity. Even with offers to relocate her home, Betty refused to leave. Enjoy the story. You can subscribe to my weekly newsletter here. Small-town Betty Bob Gillen Betty Thorndyke
- [shortfiction24 - shattered by a bullet](https://www.bobgillen.net/shattered-by-a-bullet/) - Paige Ryker struggles to recover after a school shooting shattered her life. For 2024 I will be posting a new short story here every other Wednesday. If you would prefer to receive my weekly newsletter by email, you can sign up here. The newsletter will feature these stories as well as serialized stories from earlier
- [#shortfiction24 - slow to change](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-slow-to-change/) - A year ago I introduced Moneen to the Milo story series. This will mark the sixth story. The earlier stories appear on my blog www.bobgillen.net. The standup comic and the dummy have spent eight months together on the road and are ready for a winter hiatus. And a lifestyle change? Slow To Change Bob Gillen I
- [shortfiction24 - peter's heavenly holiday](https://www.bobgillen.net/peters-heavenly-holiday/) - Peter enjoys a brief break from his gatekeeper duties. But long lines of souls pile up at the gates. I enjoyed an exercise of "what if" speculation for this story. I hope you enjoy it as well. Peter's Heavenly Holiday Bob Gillen It’s a known fact that St. Peter guards the gates of Heaven. Well,
- [shortfiction24 - hot wings, hot words](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-hot-wings-hot-words/) - Trust is everything. Brian's lack of trust (read, stupidity) threatens to destroy his relationship with Erin. This story started as a prompt almost a year ago. It has evolved a long way from my first draft. Please enjoy the story. I hope you like the characters. Hot Wings, Hot Words Bob Gillen Brian tossed his
- [shortfiction24 - a broken leg, a broken heart](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-broken-leg-a-broken-heart/) - Sister Grace has prepared her class for this moment for the past year. Their First Communion. The Gospel reading of the Good Shepherd. An old man turns it all upside down. Enjoy the story. And see more of my stories on my blog. A Broken Leg, A Broken Heart Bob Gillen Sister Grace radiated with
- [shortfiction24 - tag, you're it](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-tag-youre-it/) - Matthew's spirit passes the baton before he leaves this world for the next. Baby Ethan will grow into his mission. Enjoy the short story. Tag, You're It Bob Gillen Matthew lay in his hospital bed, the cancer claiming his life a breath at a time. His wife and two daughters lingered, knowing his last moment
- [shortfiction24 - rare and aggressive](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-rare-and-aggressive/) - In story #7 of the Jack and Diane series, they face an unwanted diagnosis. Another test of their relationship. Enjoy the story. Previous six stories are here. Rare and Aggressive Bob Gillen Jack Marin pulled his Ford F-150 into Diane Somers’s driveway, behind her Toyota Prius. He turned off the engine, sat in silence. How
- [shortfiction24 - enough of self-pity](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-enough-of-self-pity/) - Sally lost her husband two years ago. She's slipping into finding solace in a bottle of scotch. Enjoy the story. Enough of Self-Pity Bob Gillen Sally eased her Subaru into the carport and carried coffee and a bag of bagels to the house. Her headache throbbed. Too much Johnny Walker Black last night. Her mistake
- [shortfiction24 the coffin on the ferry](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-coffin-on-the-ferry/) - Two teens, Meg and Ivy, chase down a van carrying a coffin that they spied on a ferry. They find unexpected answers. Enjoy the story. The Coffin on the Ferry Bob Gillen Meg stood next to her friend Ivy at the front of the car deck on the steamship heading for Nantucket Island. A strong
- [shortfiction24 hiding in the light](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-hiding-in-the-light/) - Millie Haver loves her new life in the lights of the big city. Darkness lurks over her shoulder. This story is inspired by Edward Hopper's 1927 painting Automat. Enjoy! Hiding in the Light Bob Gillen Friday night in the city. Coming up on midnight. On the street a taxi’s blaring horn shatters the stillness. Millie
- [shortfiction24 inking ignites a spark](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-inking-ignites-a-spark/) - Brad and Jordan shop for a tattoo to seal their love. The tattoo artist is a speed bump on their road to ink. Are they ready for "permanent?" Enjoy the story. Inking Ignites a Spark Bob Gillen On the sidewalk outside the tattoo parlor, Brad and Jordan studied the samples in the window. “I love
- [shortfiction24 condoms underfoot, stars overhead](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-condoms-underfoot-stars-overhead/) - A grieving man meets a distraught dad on a starlit night. Each struggles to make sense of their losses. This story began as a dream I had about starry nights. Enjoy! Condoms Underfoot, Stars Overhead Bob Gillen My name is Frank. At the moment I am sitting in my four-wheel drive Jeep in the parking
- [shortfiction24 - on shooter watch](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-on-shooter-watch/) - Retiree Will Morris appoints himself a watcher for his local neighborhood school. To protect against active shooters. The police and the school administration are wary of his motives. Please enjoy the story. On Shooter Watch Bob Gillen Will Morris had just poured himself a coffee from his Thermos container when the police cruiser pulled into
- [shortfiction24 - talking an old man down](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-talking-an-old-man-down/) - Travis ditches school for one more day on the water before fall turns to winter. He encounters an old man languishing in the marshes. Is the old man there to die? I first posted this story in June of 2020. This is a revised version with more depth of feeling, I hope, Please enjoy the
- [shortfiction24 - estranged no more](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-an-unexpected-visitor/) - Jack spends a few days at Diane's house recovering from prostate removal surgery. An unexpected visitor brings possible healing to a long-estranged family member. This is #8 in the ongoing Jack and Diane series of stories, which originated in November of 2021. As I have said before, I have no plan, no story arc, for
- [shortfiction24 - no sleepover tonight](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-no-sleepover-tonight/) - A planned sleepover is blown away by a school shooter. Maggie's quick wit saves her friend from bleeding out after a school shooting. Enjoy the story. I hope it does even a tiny bit to raise awareness of the horrific events. No Sleepover Tonight Bob Gillen Maggie’s seat near the back of the American History
- [shortfiction24 - a light after sunset](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-light-after-sunset/) - A woman fired from her university teaching position struggles to find her way forward. An unlikely encounter reveals a note of hope. I don't often write in first-person POV, but this story seemed to need it. Please enjoy! A Light After Sunset Bob Gillen As the setting sun slides below the day’s cloud cover, I
- [shortfiction24- looking for america](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-looking-for-america/) - Aiden Connor leaves Belfast to do his senior year of high school in New Hampshire. Will he find America? I repeat my favorite mantra from Hemingway: Write hard and clear about what hurts. School gun violence, and the failure of legislators to correct it. Enjoy the story. Looking for America Bob Gillen Aiden Connor set
- [shortfiction24 - penguins in florida](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-penguins-in-florida/) - Three retirees from sales careers sit at a Florida patio table talking about a sermon on penguins. In the middle of summer! Enjoy the short story. Penguins in Florida Bob Gillen Mack slammed his open palm down on the patio table. He drooled sarcasm. “Pete, we’re sitting here in the middle of a Florida summer
- [shortfiction24 - happy thanksgiving](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-happy-thanksgiving/) - I am taking a break from posting a story this week. I hope you all enjoy a great Thanksgiving holiday! Lots to be grateful for. See you soon.
- [shortfiction24 - casket watch](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-casket-watch/) - A young girl looks down on a casket that holds the body of her mother, a mother whose face was always turned away. Enjoy the story. You can subscibe to my weekly newsletter here. Casket Watch Bob Gillen Amy knew her mother from the back. Now, standing over the open casket that held her mother’s
- [shortfiction24 - a hard frost](https://www.bobgillen.net/4677-2/) - A Hard Frost A reminder that my Mannequin Monday blog is now reborn as shortfiction24. I explain it all here. What I'm Writing This week's story is inspired by a photo my brother Jim posted to his Facebook page last week. He titled it "Hard Frost on the Hydrangea." It sparked the following story. I
- [shortfiction24 - death by millstone](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24/) - Death By Millstone What I'm Writing I am a few weeks late posting here. It took longer than usual to get this story right. I hope you enjoy it. Reader caution: possible trigger regarding abuse. Death By Millstone Bob Gillen Jack Marin and Diane Somers sat in rickety aluminum beach chairs a few feet back
- [shortfiction24 - a third date](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-third-date/) - Diane agrees to a third date with Jack, even after he messed up the second one so miserably. Will this 50+ dating app relationship go anywhere? Read on. To catch up on the first two stories about Jack and Diane, check out the first, Death by Millstone, and the second, The Second Date. I am
- [shortfiction24 - a visit to the zoo](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-a-visit-to-the-zoo/) - Bob Gillen Bob Gillen shortfiction24: a boy and his dad visit the zoo to see gorillas...and gazebos?
- [shortfiction24 - the second date](https://www.bobgillen.net/shortfiction24-the-second-date/) - What I'm Writing Jack and Diane are back. They caught my interest in my last story. This week I'm following them on their second date. Will it work for them? No guarantees. See my post for the first Jack and Diane story, Death by Millstone, here. The Second Date Bob Gillen Jack Marin stepped into
- [Mannequin Monday: Reborn](https://www.bobgillen.net/mannequin-monday-reborn/) - shortfiction24 Only Dead Fish Swim with the Current An apt quote from Ernest Hemingway. When I focused my blog on short fiction well over a year ago, I had thought the title “Mannequin Monday” was a clever takeoff on “Manic Monday.” Every week words would drape the bare mannequin, clothing it in story. I added
- [OFF-ROAD Launch Day](https://www.bobgillen.net/off-road-launch-day/) - I am thrilled to say my young adult/crossover novel is now available on Amazon Kindle. Off-Road is an adventure short read that will appeal to both enthusiastic and reluctant readers. Three teens set out to make a film about an off-road race in the searing heat of the Mojave desert. What started as a fun
- [Film Crew Shorts](https://www.bobgillen.net/film-crew-shorts/) - Re-thinking the Story Six months since my last post. Life has a way of throwing up obstacles as I plan my next book. Further illness in the family set me back for a while more. Things are getting better again, but it’s a slow process. Last September I participated in an online writing course offered
- [Don't Wait for Anyone](https://www.bobgillen.net/dont-wait-for-anyone/) - "Don't wait for anyone. Life doesn't wait. Don't become what you most fear. A wasted soul. Leap for the rope and swing towards the stars." John Patrick Shanley It's been a long time since I last posted here. A family illness, now resolving itself, absorbed time and attention. I'm working my way back. My
- [Shooting the Off-Road Desert Race](https://www.bobgillen.net/shooting-the-off-road-desert-race/) - I'm working on creating an exciting cover for the first book, "Off-Road," in the YA series. In the meantime, here's a picture of the camera Tessa uses in shooting the off-road desert race, the fictional Cactus 100. She inherited the camera from her brother Ryder. He used it in his years at NYU's film school.
- [The Magic of Story](https://www.bobgillen.net/magic-of-story/) - Welcome to my author blog. My heroes are storytellers. Writers, filmmakers, poets, photographers, artists. The magic of story.

## Pages

- [Bob Gillen, Author](https://www.bobgillen.net/) - I write short contemporary fiction with an overarching theme of healing. I write to make sense of the world we live in. To voice my feelings and my understanding about life, love, loss, relationships, adventure, humor. To search for healing. All of my heroes are storytellers. I attended John Steinbeck’s funeral in 1968 (yes, I
- [My Short Stories](https://www.bobgillen.net/my-short-stories/) - Here are all of my free short stories, 120+ and counting. They are listed in the order in which I posted them to https://www.bobgillen.net, my blog. The stories share themes of healing, mortality, loss, vulnerability, adventure. And quirkiness. Always quirkiness. Grandpa's Lucky Penny posted 6/24/26 Cruising Route 66 with Charlie Watts posted 10/22/25, revised 11/5/25
- [About Bob Gillen](https://www.bobgillen.net/sample-page/) - Hi and welcome. Thanks for stopping by. Agoura Hills, CA 91301 All content and stories copyright Bob Gillen 2015-2026
- [Jack and Diane](https://www.bobgillen.net/jack-and-diane/) - All the Jack and Diane stories, in one place My characters Jack and Diane have grown to seven stories so far. Here they are, with their original posting dates on my blog. Jack and Diane #1. Original post date 11/30/21. Death By Millstone Bob Gillen Jack Marin and Diane Somers sat in rickety aluminum beach
- [Enjoy My Books](https://www.bobgillen.net/apart/) - Storytelling makes the world go round. Contemporary short fiction for the busy reader Off-Road One phone call jolts young Tessa Warren out of her black-and-white, home-alone life. She spent two years mourning the tragic death of her filmmaker brother. Two years living with her guilt. The phone call catapults her into a crazy Labor Day

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- [The Grateful Dead](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-grateful-dead/)
- [Syracuse University](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/syracuse-university/)
- [DaVinci](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/davinci/)
- [Mary Karr](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mary-karr/)
- [Edward Hopper](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/edward-hopper/)
- [Studs Terkel](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/studs-terkel/)
- [Oliver sachs](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/oliver-sachs/)
- [Nighthawks](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/nighthawks/)
- [film noir](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/film-noir/)
- [Cape Cod](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cape-cod/)
- [Morning on Cape Cod](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/morning-on-cape-cod/)
- [Evening on Cape Cod](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/evening-on-cape-cod/)
- [Gloucester Beach](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gloucester-beach/)
- [noir](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/noir/)
- [Diana Biller](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/diana-biller/)
- [Loreth Anne White](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/loreth-anne-white/)
- [Allison Brennan](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/allison-brennan/)
- [Mare of Easttown](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mare-of-easttown/)
- [John Sandford](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/john-sandford/)
- [Ocean Prey](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ocean-prey/)
- [The Third to Die](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-third-to-die/)
- [Jane Casey](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/jane-casey/)
- [The Kill](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-kill/)
- [The Cutting Place](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-cutting-place/)
- [City sidewalks](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/city-sidewalks/)
- [Mystery novels](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mystery-novels/)
- [Yoga Journal](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/yoga-journal/)
- [Howling](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/howling/)
- [Agnes De Mille](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/agnes-de-mille/)
- [Martha Graham](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/martha-graham/)
- [songwriting](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/songwriting/)
- [Brett James](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/brett-james/)
- [AA](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/aa/)
- [addiction](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/addiction/)
- [It All Begins with a Song](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/it-all-begins-with-a-song/)
- [Henry Beston](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/henry-beston/)
- [The Outermost House](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-outermost-house/)
- [Surf](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/surf/)
- [Tattoos](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/tattoos/)
- [story bites](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/story-bites/)
- [Mary Spears](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mary-spears/)
- [Tim Lawrence](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/tim-lawrence/)
- [grief](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/grief/)
- [night beach](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/night-beach/)
- [Kurt Vonnegut](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/kurt-vonnegut/)
- [Suzanne McConnell](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/suzanne-mcconnell/)
- [Pity the Reader](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/pity-the-reader/)
- [Harry S. Truman](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/harry-s-truman/)
- [Gov. Thomas E. Dewey](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gov-thomas-e-dewey/)
- [TV chef](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/tv-chef/)
- [Theodore White](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/theodore-white/)
- [The Making of the President 1960](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-making-of-the-president-1960/)
- [In Search of History](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/in-search-of-history/)
- [Thomas Moore](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/thomas-moore/)
- [The Dark Nights of the Soul](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-dark-nights-of-the-soul/)
- [writing journal](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/writing-journal/)
- [summer interns](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/summer-interns/)
- [Manhattan Island](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/manhattan-island/)
- [story](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/story/)
- [Spirit](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/spirit/)
- [Ruth rendell](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ruth-rendell/)
- [Kissing the Gunner's daughter](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/kissing-the-gunners-daughter/)
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- [Grace](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/grace/)
- [Kathy Reichs](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/kathy-reichs/)
- [snark](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/snark/)
- [Gerbil](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gerbil/)
- [Back to School Night](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/back-to-school-night/)
- [Soccer Mom](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/soccer-mom/)
- [Maurice and Milo](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/maurice-and-milo/)
- [Sawdust](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sawdust/)
- [The Cellist](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-cellist/)
- [Rehab](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/rehab/)
- [Skilled nursing](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/skilled-nursing/)
- [Parrot](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/parrot/)
- [Rockaway beach](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/rockaway-beach/)
- [A Train](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/a-train/)
- [Hatchet](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/hatchet/)
- [The Old Man and the Sea](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-old-man-and-the-sea/)
- [Survival](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/survival/)
- [Halloween](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/halloween/)
- [William Kent Krueger](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/william-kent-krueger/)
- [Lightning Strike](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lightning-strike/)
- [James the Invisible](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/james-the-invisible/)
- [Short fiction](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/short-fiction/)
- [Skull](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/skull/)
- [Witch](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/witch/)
- [MannequinMonday](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mannequinmonday/)
- [Drift](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/drift/)
- [L.T. Ryan](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/l-t-ryan/)
- [thrillers](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/thrillers/)
- [Rachel Hatch](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/rachel-hatch/)
- [Pink Lady](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/pink-lady/)
- [shortfiction24](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shortfiction24/)
- [short bite](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/short-bite/)
- [Ruud Elmendorp](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ruud-elmendorp/)
- [Maria Popova](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/maria-popova/)
- [Marginalia](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/marginalia/)
- [Hard Frost](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/hard-frost/)
- [Hydrangea](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/hydrangea/)
- [Karthleen Glasgow](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/karthleen-glasgow/)
- [Girl In Pieces](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/girl-in-pieces/)
- [You'd Be Home Now](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/youd-be-home-now/)
- [cupcake](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cupcake/)
- [Jim Gillen Photography](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/jim-gillen-photography/)
- [Point Dume](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/point-dume/)
- [abuse](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/abuse/)
- [road trip](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/road-trip/)
- [cross country](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cross-country/)
- [happily ever after](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/happily-ever-after/)
- [millstone](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/millstone/)
- [Jack and Diane](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/jack-and-diane/)
- [the second date](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-second-date/)
- [medium](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/medium/)
- [spirit world](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/spirit-world/)
- [afterlife](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/afterlife/)
- [gorilla](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gorilla/)
- [gazebo](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gazebo/)
- [gazelle](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gazelle/)
- [giraffe](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/giraffe/)
- [zoo](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/zoo/)
- [Thomas VanOosting](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/thomas-vanoosting/)
- [piano](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/piano/)
- [keyboard](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/keyboard/)
- [The Fantasticks](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-fantasticks/)
- [Try to Remember](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/try-to-remember/)
- [Stroke](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/stroke/)
- [orchestra pit](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/orchestra-pit/)
- [Santa Barbara](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/santa-barbara/)
- [Stearns Wharf](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/stearns-wharf/)
- [Highway 101](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/highway-101/)
- [State Street](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/state-street/)
- [December](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/december/)
- [George Winston](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/george-winston/)
- [Carol of the Bells](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/carol-of-the-bells/)
- [Spotify](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/spotify/)
- [single](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/single/)
- [Starbucks](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/starbucks/)
- [Cafe Americano](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cafe-americano/)
- [Zero](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/zero/)
- [Scaled-back life](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/scaled-back-life/)
- [loneliness](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/loneliness/)
- [dating apps](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dating-apps/)
- [animal shelter](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/animal-shelter/)
- [ventriloquist](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ventriloquist/)
- [dummy](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dummy/)
- [Paris](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/paris/)
- [sock puppet](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sock-puppet/)
- [trap door](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/trap-door/)
- [fire truck](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/fire-truck/)
- [firefighter](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/firefighter/)
- [skeleton](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/skeleton/)
- [dark tunnel](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dark-tunnel/)
- [breaking news](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/breaking-news/)
- [G-7](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/g-7/)
- [climate change](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/climate-change/)
- [climate crisis](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/climate-crisis/)
- [jazz club](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/jazz-club/)
- [beach](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/beach/)
- [snowbanks](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/snowbanks/)
- [skeletons](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/skeletons/)
- [Great Blizzard of 1947](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/great-blizzard-of-1947/)
- [writer](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/writer/)
- [education conference](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/education-conference/)
- [New York City](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/new-york-city/)
- [winter break](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/winter-break/)
- [long distance love](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/long-distance-love/)
- [man of his word](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/man-of-his-word/)
- [Johnny Carson](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/johnny-carson/)
- [Art Fern](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/art-fern/)
- [Tea Time Movie](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/tea-time-movie/)
- [goats](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/goats/)
- [elephants](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/elephants/)
- [Toulouse-Lautrec](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/toulouse-lautrec/)
- [Ansel Adams](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ansel-adams/)
- [mannequin head](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mannequin-head/)
- [observation](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/observation/)
- [art history](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/art-history/)
- [classroom](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/classroom/)
- [butterfly tattoo](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/butterfly-tattoo/)
- [gender](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gender/)
- [sweet beginnings](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sweet-beginnings/)
- [ER](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/er/)
- [breakup](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/breakup/)
- [bar](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/bar/)
- [cover band](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cover-band/)
- [boogie woogie](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/boogie-woogie/)
- [fictitious news](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/fictitious-news/)
- [population growth](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/population-growth/)
- [#shortfiction24](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shortfiction24-2/)
- [Malibu Canyon](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/malibu-canyon/)
- [fog](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/fog/)
- [child's death](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/childs-death/)
- [the day after](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-day-after/)
- [filmmakers](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/filmmakers/)
- [Amber Alert](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/amber-alert/)
- [holiday shopping](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/holiday-shopping/)
- [Lincoln in the Bardo](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lincoln-in-the-bardo/)
- [purgatory](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/purgatory/)
- [cremation](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cremation/)
- [my dance space](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/my-dance-space/)
- [Morning Sun](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/morning-sun/)
- [A Day on the Cape](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/a-day-on-the-cape/)
- [writing inspiration](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/writing-inspiration/)
- [cityscape](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cityscape/)
- [sunlight](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sunlight/)
- [dialysis](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dialysis/)
- [COVID](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/covid/)
- [ER nurse](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/er-nurse/)
- [kidney disease](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/kidney-disease/)
- [entertainment industry](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/entertainment-industry/)
- [park bench](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/park-bench/)
- [homicide detective](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/homicide-detective/)
- [park ranger](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/park-ranger/)
- [state property](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/state-property/)
- [loss](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/loss/)
- [sculpting](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sculpting/)
- [Michelle Millay](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/michelle-millay/)
- [cancer scars](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cancer-scars/)
- [The Subdudes](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-subdudes/)
- [Carved in Stone](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/carved-in-stone/)
- [Nantucket Island](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/nantucket-island/)
- [Nantucket ferry](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/nantucket-ferry/)
- [Steamboat Wharf](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/steamboat-wharf/)
- [college major](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/college-major/)
- [author](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/author/)
- [publisher](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/publisher/)
- [editor](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/editor/)
- [biology degree](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/biology-degree/)
- [failure](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/failure/)
- [signature dish](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/signature-dish/)
- [Club sandwich](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/club-sandwich/)
- [Burbank](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/burbank/)
- [horses](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/horses/)
- [mare](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mare/)
- [chef](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/chef/)
- [meet-cute](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/meet-cute/)
- [monastery](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/monastery/)
- [writer's block](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/writers-block/)
- [inspiration](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/inspiration/)
- [writer's retreat](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/writers-retreat/)
- [novel writing](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/novel-writing/)
- [plot](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/plot/)
- [school shooting](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/school-shooting/)
- [film camera](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/film-camera/)
- [CSUN](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/csun/)
- [rosary](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/rosary/)
- [custodian](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/custodian/)
- [film shoot](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/film-shoot/)
- [sound guy](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sound-guy/)
- [costume](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/costume/)
- [script supervisor](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/script-supervisor/)
- [director](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/director/)
- [1st AD](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/1st-ad/)
- [high school campus](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/high-school-campus/)
- [Buried Lies](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/buried-lies/)
- [searching for a father](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/searching-for-a-father/)
- [POV](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/pov/)
- [gay lover](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gay-lover/)
- [New York](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/new-york/)
- [funeral](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/funeral/)
- [lost love](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lost-love/)
- [lover](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lover/)
- [Volvo](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/volvo/)
- [cemetery](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cemetery/)
- [estrangement](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/estrangement/)
- [relationship](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/relationship/)
- [50+dating app](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/50dating-app/)
- [traffic cone](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/traffic-cone/)
- [asphalt](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/asphalt/)
- [paving](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/paving/)
- [dog in trouble](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dog-in-trouble/)
- [hero](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/hero/)
- [compressor roller](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/compressor-roller/)
- [construction crew](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/construction-crew/)
- [backhoe](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/backhoe/)
- [grave site](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/grave-site/)
- [red ribbon](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/red-ribbon/)
- [grave digger](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/grave-digger/)
- [school kids](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/school-kids/)
- [girls on the beach](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/girls-on-the-beach/)
- [pumpkins](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/pumpkins/)
- [high school crush](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/high-school-crush/)
- [Dawn](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dawn/)
- [brush fire](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/brush-fire/)
- [ice skating](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ice-skating/)
- [teammates](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/teammates/)
- [frozen pond](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/frozen-pond/)
- [grudge](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/grudge/)
- [thunderstorm](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/thunderstorm/)
- [Bridle Path](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/bridle-path/)
- [NYC Upper West Side](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/nyc-upper-west-side/)
- [Central Park](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/central-park/)
- [open space](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/open-space/)
- [New Year 2023](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/new-year-2023/)
- [fiction](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/fiction/)
- [puttin' on the ritz](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/puttin-on-the-ritz/)
- [Army vet](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/army-vet/)
- [shipyard welder](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shipyard-welder/)
- [Brooklyn Navy Yard](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/brooklyn-navy-yard/)
- [engagement ring](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/engagement-ring/)
- [rejection](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/rejection/)
- [the rut](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-rut/)
- [David Whyte](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/david-whyte/)
- [Shelly Francis](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shelly-francis/)
- [script](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/script/)
- [ad-lib](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ad-lib/)
- [Rosa Parks](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/rosa-parks/)
- [Freedom Riders](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/freedom-riders/)
- [nursing home](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/nursing-home/)
- [St Pancras Mall](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/st-pancras-mall/)
- [cremains](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cremains/)
- [resting place](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/resting-place/)
- [You are my sunshine](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/you-are-my-sunshine/)
- [WWII](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/wwii/)
- [Western Union](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/western-union/)
- [telegram](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/telegram/)
- [draft](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/draft/)
- [basic training](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/basic-training/)
- [US Army](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/us-army/)
- [London](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/london/)
- [public piano](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/public-piano/)
- [Manhattan's west side](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/manhattans-west-side/)
- [Selective Service](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/selective-service/)
- [Bertram42](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/bertram42/)
- [bait barge](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/bait-barge/)
- [swordfish](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/swordfish/)
- [bucket list](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/bucket-list/)
- [regrets](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/regrets/)
- [Steinbeck](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/steinbeck/)
- [Hemingway](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/hemingway/)
- [sport fishing](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sport-fishing/)
- [tidal pool](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/tidal-pool/)
- [starfish](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/starfish/)
- [Le Duc des Lombards](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/le-duc-des-lombards/)
- [ABCD of Boogie Woogie](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/abcd-of-boogie-woogie/)
- [LGBTQ](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lgbtq/)
- [Lesbian](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lesbian/)
- [standup comic](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/standup-comic/)
- [Chevy Silverado](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/chevy-silverado/)
- [campground](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/campground/)
- [James Dean](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/james-dean/)
- [monk](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/monk/)
- [schoolyard](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/schoolyard/)
- [school reports](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/school-reports/)
- [soccer](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/soccer/)
- [grieving](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/grieving/)
- [heaven](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/heaven/)
- [harp](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/harp/)
- [pure being](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/pure-being/)
- [autism](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/autism/)
- [unanswered questions](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/unanswered-questions/)
- [theater](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/theater/)
- [diorama](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/diorama/)
- [Ellis Island](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ellis-island/)
- [shoe](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shoe/)
- [school roof](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/school-roof/)
- [Percival Everett](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/percival-everett/)
- [why I write](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/why-i-write/)
- [audience](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/audience/)
- [hurt](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/hurt/)
- [Columbia College](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/columbia-college/)
- [Vancouver](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/vancouver/)
- [Canada](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/canada/)
- [college night](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/college-night/)
- [GPA](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gpa/)
- [gender transition](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gender-transition/)
- [college search](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/college-search/)
- [NYC subway](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/nyc-subway/)
- [homeless man](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/homeless-man/)
- [trapped](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/trapped/)
- [stalled train](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/stalled-train/)
- [transit cop](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/transit-cop/)
- [Vaya con Dios](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/vaya-con-dios/)
- [lighting strike](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lighting-strike/)
- [tangled spirits](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/tangled-spirits/)
- [Vinny and Margie](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/vinny-and-margie/)
- [Vinny and Lewis](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/vinny-and-lewis/)
- [marina](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/marina/)
- [well-meaning questions](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/well-meaning-questions/)
- [boats](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/boats/)
- [disappearance](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/disappearance/)
- [a new life](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/a-new-life/)
- [dealing with grief](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dealing-with-grief/)
- [first responer](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/first-responer/)
- [EMT](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/emt/)
- [terror memories](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/terror-memories/)
- [murdered children](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/murdered-children/)
- [healing through story](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/healing-through-story/)
- [racetrack](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/racetrack/)
- [getting lucky](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/getting-lucky/)
- [food](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/food/)
- [Aqueduct Racetrack](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/aqueduct-racetrack/)
- [shopping](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shopping/)
- [mannequin](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mannequin/)
- [writing propmpt](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/writing-propmpt/)
- [vintage clothing](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/vintage-clothing/)
- [Pinocchio](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/pinocchio/)
- [marlin](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/marlin/)
- [bones](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/bones/)
- [church](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/church/)
- [prayer](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/prayer/)
- [Vacancy](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/vacancy/)
- [diamonds](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/diamonds/)
- [P.I.](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/p-i/)
- [uncut diamonds](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/uncut-diamonds/)
- [black lab](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/black-lab/)
- [cancer](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/cancer/)
- [neon](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/neon/)
- [shortfitction24](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shortfitction24/)
- [fishing knife](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/fishing-knife/)
- [butcher shop](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/butcher-shop/)
- [butcheer block](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/butcheer-block/)
- [Marine biologist](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/marine-biologist/)
- [trauma team](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/trauma-team/)
- [three-way](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/three-way/)
- [clone](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/clone/)
- [dark side](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dark-side/)
- [kindness](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/kindness/)
- [Dunkirk](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dunkirk/)
- [Atonement](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/atonement/)
- [Steadicam operator](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/steadicam-operator/)
- [video village](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/video-village/)
- [school bus](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/school-bus/)
- [active shooter](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/active-shooter/)
- [scar](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/scar/)
- [first responders](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/first-responders/)
- [ghost](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ghost/)
- [campus](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/campus/)
- [scary film](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/scary-film/)
- [high school](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/high-school/)
- [biopsy](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/biopsy/)
- [the universe](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-universe/)
- [meditation](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/meditation/)
- [casket](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/casket/)
- [a mother's face](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/a-mothers-face/)
- [Dodgers](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dodgers/)
- [classroom shooting](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/classroom-shooting/)
- [baseball](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/baseball/)
- [Vietnam War](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/vietnam-war/)
- [Vietnam Wall](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/vietnam-wall/)
- [Traveling Wall](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/traveling-wall/)
- [veterans](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/veterans/)
- [helicopters](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/helicopters/)
- [Salinas](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/salinas/)
- [Monterey](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/monterey/)
- [Carmel](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/carmel/)
- [Bobby McGee](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/bobby-mcgee/)
- [summer of '69](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/summer-of-69/)
- [stupid words](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/stupid-words/)
- [old bridge](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/old-bridge/)
- [coffee shop](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/coffee-shop/)
- [horror movie](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/horror-movie/)
- [wood chipper](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/wood-chipper/)
- [silence](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/silence/)
- [car accident](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/car-accident/)
- [diesel train](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/diesel-train/)
- [main street](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/main-street/)
- [shortline railroad](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shortline-railroad/)
- [happy thanksgiving](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/happy-thanksgiving/)
- [holiday](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/holiday/)
- [shortfiction24. short stry](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/shortfiction24-short-stry/)
- [Milo](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/milo/)
- [St. Peter](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/st-peter/)
- [gates of Heaven](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/gates-of-heaven/)
- [musicians](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/musicians/)
- [authors](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/authors/)
- [Nashville wings](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/nashville-wings/)
- [hot wings](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/hot-wings/)
- [trauma nurse](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/trauma-nurse/)
- [trust](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/trust/)
- ['the thrill is gone'](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-thrill-is-gone/)
- [Good Shepherd](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/good-shepherd/)
- [lost sheep](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lost-sheep/)
- [First Communion](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/first-communion/)
- [broken leg](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/broken-leg/)
- [grade school children](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/grade-school-children/)
- [passing the baton](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/passing-the-baton/)
- [baby](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/baby/)
- [mission](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/mission/)
- [carcinoma](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/carcinoma/)
- [prostate](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/prostate/)
- [intimate](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/intimate/)
- [scotch](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/scotch/)
- [solace](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/solace/)
- [Nantucket Steamship](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/nantucket-steamship/)
- [ferry](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ferry/)
- [coffin](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/coffin/)
- [teens](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/teens/)
- [the big city](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-big-city/)
- [Broadway](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/broadway/)
- [Automat](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/automat/)
- [Alcohol](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/alcohol/)
- [Broadway dolly](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/broadway-dolly/)
- [tattoo](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/tattoo/)
- [inking](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/inking/)
- [permanent](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/permanent/)
- [hope](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/hope/)
- [school shooter](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/school-shooter/)
- [retiree](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/retiree/)
- [school violence](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/school-violence/)
- [politician lack of action](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/politician-lack-of-action/)
- [marsh](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/marsh/)
- [ditching school](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/ditching-school/)
- [aging](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/aging/)
- [prostate surgery](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/prostate-surgery/)
- [dating](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/dating/)
- [estarngement](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/estarngement/)
- [school gun violence](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/school-gun-violence/)
- [teen heroism](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/teen-heroism/)
- [sleepover](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sleepover/)
- [creative writing](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/creative-writing/)
- [professor](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/professor/)
- [homeless woman](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/homeless-woman/)
- [sunset](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sunset/)
- [weariness](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/weariness/)
- [failure of legislators](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/failure-of-legislators/)
- [death in the classroom](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/death-in-the-classroom/)
- [Belfast](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/belfast/)
- [New Hampshire](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/new-hampshire/)
- [Florida](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/florida/)
- [preaching](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/preaching/)
- [deacon](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/deacon/)
- [sales retirees](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sales-retirees/)
- [patriarchy](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/patriarchy/)
- [realestate](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/realestate/)
- [Fall Risk](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/fall-risk/)
- [myeloma](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/myeloma/)
- [acupuncture](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/acupuncture/)
- [sand](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/sand/)
- [footsteps in sand](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/footsteps-in-sand/)
- [Upper West Side](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/upper-west-side/)
- [old man](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/old-man/)
- [Charlie Watts](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/charlie-watts/)
- [Route 66](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/route-66/)
- [medications](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/medications/)
- [fatigue](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/fatigue/)
- [A B C and D of Boogie Woogie](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/a-b-c-and-d-of-boogie-woogie/)
- [jazz](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/jazz/)
- [The Rolling Stones](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/the-rolling-stones/)
- [Freddie Mercury](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/freddie-mercury/)
- [grandpa](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/grandpa/)
- [penny](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/penny/)
- [lucky](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/lucky/)
- [narrative](https://www.bobgillen.net/tag/narrative/)