To My Son Last winter as snow banks rose high above us and we clutched our coats tight against our necks to fight off the cold, you were cradled in the warmth of your mother’s belly. Sinew formed, bones calcified, fingers sprouted at the ends of your tiny arms, and the synapses in … Continue reading To My Son (A Poem)
Fiction
University of Southern Maine, You Broke My Crooked Heart
Dear University of Southern Maine, You've done it. Broken my heart, that is. You did it while staring into my unblinking eyes. You never released your finger from the trigger, just waited until the dust settled from your bad press, then, when you hoped people were preoccupied by the warm summer air that finally came … Continue reading University of Southern Maine, You Broke My Crooked Heart
After Reading of the Heroin Epidemic in Vermont, I Write a Letter Home
Note: I recently finished the Rolling Stone article on the heroin problem in Vermont. The article opens with a heroin addict from my hometown of Milton. This poem emerged from the rush of nostalgia and visceral thoughts that the article broke open in my veins. A Letter Home Milton, Vermont, the dirty poem from … Continue reading After Reading of the Heroin Epidemic in Vermont, I Write a Letter Home
University of Southern Maine, We Will Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night
Since I posted my open letter to the University of Southern Maine about their plan to sell the Stone House where I attended the Stonecoast MFA program, a lot has gone down. This week's Portland Phoenix explains that the University is delaying its plans to lay off faculty, and from my contacts at Stonecoast it … Continue reading University of Southern Maine, We Will Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night
The Philip Seymour Hoffman I Knew
Of course, I didn't know Philip Seymour Hoffman. But like the rest of you, I knew the version of him that he gave us in his movies and interviews. I loved that version because he was hilarious and serious and chubby and flawed and honest and vulnerable. Since writing is cathartic and I'm as confused … Continue reading The Philip Seymour Hoffman I Knew
Advice From a Reluctant Blogger
Preface I got into blogging reluctantly. Now that I'm in it, I understand its importance for emerging writers. It's a necessary component in this uber-digital age we find ourselves in. With that said, I'm having a hell of a time blogging about writing, music, and beer. (Especially the beer part.) Six Reasons Why I Blog … Continue reading Advice From a Reluctant Blogger
Letter to the University of Southern Maine: Save the Stone House!
(Note: this is a letter I sent to the University of Southern Maine to urge them to keep the Stone House. This is a house in Wolf's Neck in Freeport overlooking the ocean. The property is used by the Stonecoast writing program where I received my MFA. The school is considering selling this piece of … Continue reading Letter to the University of Southern Maine: Save the Stone House!
The Bachelor Awakens From Its Vapid Sleep For Ten Minutes of Actual Reality TV
Last night I was doing manly activities: lifting heavy weights, drinking (craft) beer, looking at nudy magazines, scratching myself, et cetera, et cetera. In the midst of said manly activities, I heard, from the living room, a sound I ne'er catch on Monday nights while my wife is watching The Bachelor: a female contestant explaining … Continue reading The Bachelor Awakens From Its Vapid Sleep For Ten Minutes of Actual Reality TV
Binge-Watching Made Me a Plot Slut
Right now it's Dexter. A month ago it was Walking Dead. Before that Trailer Park Boys. Before that...well, let's just say I've been with a lot of shows. The list of shows I've binge-watched is so long I almost want to lie to people about my number. I feel like the girl who went hog-wild … Continue reading Binge-Watching Made Me a Plot Slut
What Nelson Mandela Means to Me
It's 2004. The spring of my first year of teaching. I work at a rural school in Vermont's North East Kingdom. The school serves the children of the hardscrabble loggers and hippy back-to-the-landers who both try and have a go at this beautiful, but relentless landscape. The savage winter is giving over to warm spring … Continue reading What Nelson Mandela Means to Me
DAVE PATTERSON 