From the Archives: Rumpus Original Fiction: Lunch Money
Out here on the balcony, perched three stories above the ground, we’re in her world.
...moreBecome a Rumpus Member
Join NOW!Out here on the balcony, perched three stories above the ground, we’re in her world.
...moreJade Sharma discusses her first novel Problems, the complicated feelings that came with debuting to rave reviews, and her writing and editing processes.
...moreYou’ll look back and you’ll think the scars seem almost invisible, like maybe they’ll be gone one day. But then you’ll realize you’re just looking at the smaller ones, and yes, the bigger one is still right there.
...moreUsing opioids while maintaining my sobriety became a skill that I continued to develop over the following couple of years. The irony—finally becoming capable of moderating my drug use—was not lost on me.
...moreI wanted to write about opioids because I didn’t have an opioid problem.
...moreThen the road less traveled by diverged in a wood and took him in the night.
...moreWe both can disappear in our own ways, can’t we?
...moreThis was a reconnaissance mission. My intention was to save her, not alienate her.
...moreKaveh Akbar discusses his new collection, PILGRIM BELL.
...more“Writing in this way allows me to put order in this disordered world.”
...moreI can tell he knows exactly what kind of trouble I like.
...moreWith Steven Espada Dawson, Elisa Gonzalez, and Gaia Rajan.
...moreJames Brown and Patrick O’Neil discuss WRITING YOUR WAY TO RECOVERY.
...moreAndrea Actis discusses her debut book, GREY ALL OVER.
...moreTelevision babysat our family—our thirteen-channel set, reception via a rooftop antenna.
...moreI grieve my father’s disembodiment. It is my grief inheritance.
...moreThe frame expands. The structure collapses. The pieces are still speaking.
...moreKaren Tucker discusses her debut novel, BEWILDERNESS.
...moreLilly Dancyger discusses her debut essay collection, NEGATIVE SPACE.
...moreIt hadn’t felt like teasing. It felt the way it always did these days—that I had disappointed her.
...more“My challenge was to tell my own story but also find ways to weave in wisdom and gravitas.”
...moreLauren Hough discusses her debut essay collection, LEAVING ISN’T THE HARDEST THING.
...moreLilly Dancyger discusses her debut memoir, NEGATIVE SPACE.
...moreMelissa Febos discusses her new essay collection, GIRLHOOD.
...moreThe toll I took on people I love can’t be measured. But I want to know.
...more“Yes: in terms of an authorial presence, I tried to tread lightly.”
...moreAddiction steals your integrity. Your freedom, too.
...moreTranscendent Kingdom becomes an experiment in itself.
...moreFor years, decades even, my father tried to escape meth’s hold.
...moreShe introduced me to the ugly of religion and to the beauty of the world.
...more