Published in The Memoirist·PinnedMember-onlyNobody is Ever Going to Ask Me to Be On Their PodcastSo I wrote the musical timeline of my life (from 1982–2001). — My friend, Rachel, recently told me she was on a podcast to talk about the six–10 songs that would define, or narrate (or whatever) her life. I suppose the question was: if you were to put music to the moments and time, throughout your lifetime, what songs would be there…Music7 min readMusic7 min read
Published in The Haven·PinnedMember-onlyIf Donald Trump Were a Manager at Super AmericaTrump’s never had a real job, but most of us have. And, all of us would be canned, shunned and jailed if we did Trumpy things at work. Take the Capitol riot, for instance. If I laid the groundwork and incited that shit I’d be sharing a cell today with…America4 min readAmerica4 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Aug 25Member-onlyFishing For UnderstandingStop me if you’ve heard this one before — A guy goes on a guided fly-fishing float down the Snake River with three close friends and one stranger. The stranger is a guide and he happens to love telling endless amounts of tales. …Friendship6 min readFriendship6 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Aug 25Member-onlyMinneapolis to Minneapolis via La CrosseA journey from Jake’s apartment to Jake and Katy’s house. — It took me about five years to get a two-year degree. Partly because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, partly because being in school meant nobody expected much of me. …Life7 min readLife7 min read
Published in The Press Box·Apr 29Member-onlyNine Months in RochesterWhere I ended up after high school when I realized the only thing, I could do well was throw a football — I grew up in a small city in Wisconsin and attended small, parochial grade school and high school. When I was in high school from ‘98-’01, if a student didn’t show interest in becoming a pastor or teacher, the staff didn’t really know what to do. I don’t recall getting…Memoir7 min readMemoir7 min read
Apr 27Member-onlyThe Long WinterThe house wasn’t big, but it was built on a hill that looked down into a valley, bluffs on either side. In every direction was treeless, rolling hills — farm country in the southernmost part of Minnesota. Corn would be planted in the coming weeks. …Short Story5 min readShort Story5 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Apr 20Member-onlyThe Old Wooden ShelfMy great-grandparents were resourceful. Most people who survived the Great Depression were, or so I’ve been told. — Not a nail, scrap of material, or cherry tomato went to waste in their home. They had a garden in the backyard that yielded a good amount of their food each year and a cellar in the basement to house all sorts of pickled foodstuff that went from the garden…Furniture6 min readFurniture6 min read
Apr 1Member-onlyNobody is WatchingA man wakes up in the morning and notices his mouth feels like sandpaper and smells like old milk. Nobody else is around. It was another Thursday in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He thought, I need a humidifier. After a minute, he rolls off his white-ish sheets and towards his bathroom…Fiction8 min readFiction8 min read
Published in The Haven·Feb 26Member-onlyDamn you, Adam LevineThe time I got owned by a song that I hate. — I had a late coffee this morning at a work meeting and by the time lunch rolled around it sounded like my tummy was driving on the side of a highway. It was rumblin’. I was hungry. Like the wolf. While healthier options exist, I felt drawn to the Nashville…Lunch5 min readLunch5 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Feb 23Member-onlyRejection Is A (no) Good BIt’s hard every time, and always will be. — The earliest memory I have of rejection goes back to 1st grade. I liked a girl named Tricia but she liked Chad. Then in 2nd grade, I liked a girl named Tassia but she liked David. The same story reoccurred until 7th grade. That’s when I found out April liked…Life Lessons8 min readLife Lessons8 min read
