"How to Tell a Pure Rage Story" at Mayday Magazine

I keep writing creative nonfiction and (for some reason) people publish it. “How to Tell a Pure Rage Story” pays homage to Tim O’Brien's “How to Tell a True War Story,” but is a tale all its own.

It's now published in Mayday Magazine.

Guest Post for AGFCG Card Talk Series

I have a guest blog post for A Game for Good Christians’ Card Talk series entitled “God Planning Your Pain to Make A Point.” It employs one of my theological sonnets that appears in The Third Renunciation.

I previously had the privilege of editing AGFGC’s literary anthology This Present Former Glory: An Anthology of Honest Spiritual Literature.

If you don’t know A Game for Good Christians, imagine what you get if you crossed Cards Against Humanity with the Bible.

"Inscrutable" Nominated for a Best of the Net Award

My creative nonfiction essay “Inscrutable” was nominated by Redivder for a Best of the Net Award.

This is my first time being nominated for my prose.

Read the story here.

Being Present published in Porcupine Literary

My creative nonfiction piece “Being Present” was just published in Porcupine Literary. It stands on the shoulders, pays homage to Jamaica Kincaid (and Maurice Carlos Ruffin).

Functionally, it’s a love letter to my kids: past, present, future.

"The Questions They Ask" (CNF) published in Emerge Literary Journal

my story “The Questions They Ask” has been published by Emerge Literary Journal.

Type Casting in ASP Bulletin

“That’s some white people shit.”

“What?”

“Were all of the people who thought you were gay white?”

“It’s not that they thought I was gay exactly…”

“Not straight. Whatever. Were all of them white?”

“No.” I mentally scroll through faces and races. “Yes?”

“See? You don’t fit their Black-Man stereotype, other than dating white women…”

“Hey…”

“Whatever nigga: you do you. I’m just saying you don’t fit their image of what a Black man is ‘supposed’ to be. You’re not some overly masculine thug, sitting on a stoop, rocking a durag and sipping a 40. A sensitive and educated Black man, who works with kids seems femme to them. So, they assume you’re not straight.”

“No, V. That can’t be it.”

It was.

CLICK BELOW TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY

"Inscrutable": creative nonfiction in Redivider

I am honored that “Inscrutable,” a story I wrote for/about my AAPI students in response to the Atlanta Spa Shootings, was published by Redivider as their inagural Cultural Critique piece.
.

Redivider 20.1 | Cover art — Tea Queen by Aaron Norfolk

He knows the myth, but he is the model minority. The all-around A-student: attentive, astute, Asian. He’s good at math and science, but also garners excellent grades and respect in my sophomore honors English class. He’s soft spoken, but thoughtful. So as the others call out, he raises his hand and waits patiently. When I acknowledge that he will be next, he lowers it back to his desk, places the other over a delicate wrist. When he does speak, on an average Wednesday, I will swear in front of a class for the first time in twenty years of teaching.

“Out of my Hands” at Zone 3

Two of my kids suffered a tragedy that changed my life. I wrote a horrible poem and a couple of songs about it that never saw the light of day.

Over a decade later, while teaching a memoir unit, I wrote a longer work about it— the first piece of prose I had written since high school. Over the next few years it saw many revisions, many suggested revisions from journal editors, many night thinking.

It’s a story I read every year in my classes. I think I’ve not cried when reading it once.

I am proud to have “Out of my Hands” appearing within the pages of Zone 3.

"Close Contact" -- Creative Nonfiction Published at Porcupine Literary

This school year has been broken, on fire, and drowning all at the same time.

I wrote some prose about this, and the good folks at Porcupine Literary have been kind enough to publish it.

It’s dedicated to all of my students, esp. those who survived this year.

You can read it here.

"Between the woods and frozen lake..." Creative Nonfiction at Barren Magazine

This story takes its title from Robert Frost’s “Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening” for many, many reasons. It was first written for my kids in class a few years ago, completing a memoir assignment alongside them.

But it was more than that.

I was sharing the burden of vulnerability in writing. An exercise in revealing without revealing. Saying something at a slant, through omission, obscured, knowing only some would see the picture clearly. Knowing that those who did see at first glance were able to because of something shared. Something unspoken, but now brought to light.

Everyone else simply saw an interesting story.

This story is dedicated to those with eyes to see and is now live at Barren Magazine

---

"Holding Peace" (CNF) published at How to Pack for Church Camp

Every once in a while I write a short story, usually based on a real experience. A work of creative non-fiction (CNF). This one has been published by How to Pack for Church Camp.

This time I decided not to include names, to protect the guilty. I know some of the guilty are reading this right now. You went to this camp. You were in the room. You said these things. Hopefully you’re a better person now.

As for my unnamed friend: all my love, B. Now and forever.