Author: Joe Class III
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Spud, Hanover, Tweed, and Spiner: Tri-Cities Iowa
The Tri-Cities of Hanover, Tweed, and Spiner weren’t always connected. Once upon a time, long before Floyd or Janice could recall, all four cities were independent. Yes, there were once four cities, all connected via the one road separating them, spanning roughly fifteen miles north, south, east, and west. Folks in this part of Iowa…
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Two Weeks’ Notice
“This is your what?” Shelly’s supervisor, Angela, held an unopened envelope in her hand. Angela sat behind her mahogany desk, polished to a shine, making those on the other side of the desk feel uncomfortable, as though they were in the presence of royalty. Unlike most interoffice hard copy full-size 8 1/2”X11” envelopes, it was…
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Duran Duran, aka Brent Alexander’s Vega: Part II
So, the following Saturday, Brent came over and took me back to his house in Livermore in the Vega. It was a twenty-minute drive, give or take, so we had time to talk about music and listen to Duran Duran and David Bowie. He played two songs from Bowie, and we talked about both tunes,…
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Introduction to Duran Duran, aka Brent Alexand’s Vega
Storytelling takes account of the shoddy memories of the teller. My memories and the gaping holes in them make the tale more interesting, sometimes taking it off the rails into the depths of what can only be considered borderline lying. Those details often make it palatable, so I hope my recollection will be relatively accurate…
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Choices
The author reflects on the choices and behaviors of drivers and the impact of selfishness and impatience on road safety.
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Floyd Patterson and Janice’s Diner
Floyd complains about lukewarm coffee, sparking banter with Kathy in a slow-paced diner.
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Silver Reclamation
A hodgepodge of memories built from various adventures, starting from the patriarch of invention and creativity, my Dad. In his mid to late thirties, he started several businesses, including one that began in our garage. “Would you like to make some money?” That was a question James, Jon, and I heard often. Sometimes, we would…
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Friend of a Friend
That’s how Brad, Justin, Mikey, Terry, and I became friends. When you are little, think kindergarten or first-grade age, you only meet the people you live closest to. Or you make friends at school and hope their parents can pick you up or drop you off to play. But as you get older, say in…
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Moving Day
Empty. Empty and quiet. I hated it. Then again, I was just a kid who absolutely hated quiet! I loved being around people, all kinds of people. The older the people, the better. At eight, adults were way more interesting than kids my own age. But right now, it was just our family. Me. Dad.…
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Pearls? Meet Blink-182
“Wait, what was that?” Pulling out the earbuds, Gina looked over her shoulder where the sound came from. “Can you please move?” The woman was wearing sunglasses inside, which was the first thing Gina noticed. Second were the extravagant pearls hanging from her neck. Gina saw lots of women wearing pearls in southern California. But…
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Write What You Know
I heard that sentence thirty years ago or more. Write what you know. Show us, don’t tell us. Incorporate personal experiences into your fiction writing. And so many more tips, tricks, and advice, all designed to make me a better writer. And you know what I discovered? I see a lot more than I think…
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Waiting for the Bus
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The boy sneered at the strange man. “I’m telling you,” he repeated, staring at the boy. “That’s really not a good idea.” The boy was standing in front of a store, a big sign plastered in the window. The sign read, “Don’t make faces in the window.…
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From An 80-Year-Old Film
“Take my hand!” His lips mouthed the words. I couldn’t hear what the medic standing over me was saying, and nothing. I tried to get my body to work. It felt like a thousand needles in my fingertips, that same feeling you get when your extremities fall asleep. Or if you lay on your arm…
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Back to The Golden Skate: Bianca’s Mortification
“I cannot believe you, Bianca.” Bianca’s mother opened the trunk of her Mercedes. Inside were three garment bags, a makeup case, and four shoe boxes. Each box had a different name brand plastered on the outside. Two were high heels, and the other two were flats. Bianca was sobbing. Standing in line ten minutes ago,…
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Skating
Hot dogs steaming in their own juice. Popcorn. That sickeningly sweet-blown sugar smell of cotton candy. Sometimes blue, but most often, it was that sticky bubble gum pink color. Corn chips and the nacho cheese slathered all over them in those flimsy paper trays. Most kids shied away from the jalapenos, but a few of…
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The Valley Girls
Music. It’s the one thing keeping me grounded. I know. A lot of people wonder how you can possibly think when you are listening to songs with lyrics. Songs that make you think and feel. I don’t know. But I can. Plus, I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember. School isn’t…
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The Mississippi River Wave
A wave, the biggest one I’ve ever seen, coming straight towards me – from the Mississippi River? Over the top of the river wall, at least a third of the distance of the wall. So, what? Fifteen feet? At the low end? I don’t know. I was never all that great at judging distance, especially…
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PIN Numbers
“Nathan, you can’t disclose people’s personal identification numbers just because you can figure it out. Besides, how do you know you are correct? You take their card?” The two servers were standing out back of Geovanni’s Italian eatery, one of the finer restaurants in Macon, Georgia. “Dude. You always have access to their card.” “You…
