Hair Today

 

Thank you, Willamette Week. You can read my full review by clicking here.

Lucky 13

 

I'm so delighted to have one of my poems included in this spellbinding anthology, the 13th issue of The Poeming Pigeon. You can click here to purchase it.

Women, Before and After -- Creative Nonfiction by Anonymous

On October 2, 2023, my women's creative writing class took inspiration from Lucille Clifton's poem "Climbing." I'm so happy to share this creative nonfiction piece by one of the participants of that group.

Women, Before and After October 2, 2023

by Anonymous

I am at work in the office at Child Development Center one day when two younger women (by a generation) enter. I catch only a bit of the conversation when one announces the mailman is at the door. 

The second young woman remarks, "You mean the mail person?"

"I don't know what the big deal is," replies young woman #1.

I spoke up. The big deal, I stated, is that when I was a girl the word Man was meant literally and completely. Any occupation ending in Man meant I was not to strive to do it. ONLY MEN NEED APPLY.

It was huge that I did become the letter carrier. One of a handful in Portland in the late '70s.

At that time, I was hired as a fill-in. My route could change daily or after several weeks, whichever needed. I would be "casing" a route and hear: "Don't put the girl on my route." I would pay that carrier back, when I did get placed on his route by running it off, finishing my day in under eight hours. A continued performance of this type would open questions as to whether the route needed added addresses. When this and other carriers complained and told me I had to stop, I would reply that I would stop running their route when they stopped running their mouths.

Always remember, I told the young woman, someone fought, so you could question if it is only a word.