FROZEN BORSCHT SALON

ByGary De Mattei February 9, 2013July 12, 2015

Yesterday I heard a man say something in Russian to his children. I imagine he was referencing the storm we were walking through as compared to winters in his native cheery Siberi-a. Probably went something like, “Why, when I was young we didn’t have clothes, we had to wear the snow to keep us warm!” How do they push their strollers filled with plastic bags through a blizzard? Plastic bags and kids. Walk. Trudge. Drag. I’ve never seen anyone so pale. Dark circles on his dark circles. Oh, wait, that’s me I’m looking at in the stylist’s mirror. Pale. Drawn. Gray. Until she finishes cutting my hair and then…she must step on a button or something because all of a sudden when she’s through I look new. Tan, even. Like when the butcher switches on the pink light in his refrigerated display case so the old rotting flesh he can’t move looks fresh and new again. You know what sounds fun? Vitamin D. And a train bound for the sun.

Stories

Wonka!

ByGary De Mattei June 14, 2018June 14, 2020

My sister Deb saved a box of memorabilia for me to go through while out here in San Jose for the summer. So, I’ve been scanning old family photos into my computer and reliving some of my life. This is an incredibly self indulgent, painful, cathartic, joyful, sad, happy, and depressing process…kind of like life…

Nuts And Chews | Writing

JOGGING THROUGH THE STREETS OF QUEENS UPDATE

ByGary De Mattei October 14, 2012July 12, 2015

Middle-aged heavyweight woman with five o’clock shadow pushing a loaded babushka cart and wearing some kind of schmatta on her head spit at me and then mumbled something in Russian as I jogged by her. Sources tell me it was either an ancient curse or a killer recipe for borscht. Not to be outdone, an…

Stories

Julian Bond

ByGary De Mattei August 20, 2015June 3, 2020

Julian Bond At the public schools I attended in Northern California we studied the Civil Rights movement at a very early age, which meant we studied Julian Bond at a very early age. Anti Vietnam War protests would occur on the campuses where I attended school. The Revolution wasn’t happening around us, it was happening…

Nuts And Chews | Writing

THERE’S A DOG ON MY BED

ByGary De Mattei January 22, 2013July 12, 2015

The moment he knew he wasn’t dreaming was also the moment he grew more fearful about the dog. “There is a dog walking on my bed,” he thought while lying there in the dark. “We don’t have a dog. They don’t allow animals here. Only people. How’d this big dog get in our bedroom? Did…

Stories | Writing

WAITING FOR PROSPERO

ByGary De Mattei December 23, 2013January 19, 2024

A FEVER DREAM That night I found myself standing in an old rehearsal hall that was torn down a long time ago. A woman I didn’t recognize was playing a piano I helped carry up the several flights of stairs we had to climb to get there. She smiled as I walked about…

Stories

Love in the Time of Caller ID

ByGary De Mattei November 6, 2019

Big Internet tells me love is dying everywhere, so it must be so, no? And lately social media seems to be a clearing house for hate, violence, unkindness, betrayal, murder, so it must be so, no? Your god knows we all have challenges, obstacles, villains to deal with that lead us to conclude that love…

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