Most discussed stories

Ann Patchett Writes Her New Novel on the Treadmill

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I write my new poem in the gardenBut not like Mary OliverMore like meDirt under my fingernailsReal dirtI can feel the grit of it Something that shouldn't be thereBut is.

THE COUNT

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count vb (late 14c) “to enumerate, assign numerals to successively and in order; repeat the numerals in order”; also “to reckon among, include,” from Old French conter “to count, add up,” also “tell a…

Residuals

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My heart raced. I couldn't swallow. Heat rose under my skin, sharp and disorienting. I wanted to disappear—to fold inward, to dissolve—but instead of leaving, I walked toward him.

Soldier's home

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That there are a downstairs, and high voices.

gospel

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The tinny beer can fell from my desk and exploded over my head

Wave-Function Collapse Where You'd Least Expect It

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Albert's alarm was on the verge of being dispelled by the cognac when another occurrence rattled him. In one of his vest pockets he located a short note addressed to him by Schrödinger. “—but no, this cannot be!”

Teardrops (Starting to Run Out)

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Should I talk freely, or do you preferdecorum? To kill a butterfly isnot honorable. Everything should stopthere, but it won't. It never does. I hope you're happy now doesn't mean I don't give a damn what happens to you. I talk freely because that's what…