From the Archives: Rumpus Original Fiction: Emergency Lifeboats: 24 (12 on Each Side)
“What’s a six-letter word for ignoring truth,” she might say, without looking up from the puzzle.
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Join NOW!“What’s a six-letter word for ignoring truth,” she might say, without looking up from the puzzle.
...moreWhat did it matter? It was June and the salmonfly hatch had begun.
...moreJust the two of us. Daddy and me. Charro and escaramuza.
...moreIt’s true that when I speak of machines I also mean dimensions.
...moreAs soon as life begins, its impulse is to divide.
...moreFor years, decades even, my father tried to escape meth’s hold.
...moreThis is both the exercise and exorcism of motherhood.
...moreTurn the corner, let the darkness swallow you, and you’re in the stacks.
...moreThere’s a collective guilt. So, our parents buy us friends.
...moreI love that—working towards not having regret, in art and in life.
...moreMarika Lindholm discusses WE GOT THIS: SOLO MOM STORIES OF GRIT, HEART, AND HUMOR.
...moreI want them to know that heart work is hard work, but worth the struggle.
...more[A] person’s labor is not indicative of their parenting.
...moreVanessa Hua interviews her mentor, Susan Straight.
...moreShaindel Beers discusses her third collection, SECURE YOUR OWN MASK.
...moreKelly Sundberg discusses her debut memoir, GOODBYE, SWEET GIRL.
...moreIn my marriage, food was love. And control. And coercion. And apologies.
...moreAdmitting I had been raped meant confronting the landscape of my sexual history.
...moreIntellectually, I know Gracie’s mom loves her and needs help. In practice, I just want my daughter safe.
...moreNow my not wanting men to be front and center in my life capitalized sperm into a rare commodity. Empowered reproduction is largely a myth.
...moreI didn’t want to be edited in that way. I needed to tell my story.
...moreI’m not a trained musician, but my grandma helped me to become fearless…
...moreI don’t feel ashamed of my history, I feel ashamed of letting it be erased.
...moreMorgan Jerkins discusses This Will Be My Undoing, getting her start on the Internet, and why her collection of linked personal essays isn’t just another Millennial read.
...moreBroken people are drawn to other broken people. Comparing scars. Laying belly to belly. Two similar pieces of different puzzles.
...moreAriel Gore discusses her new novel We Were Witches, why capitalism and the banking system are the real enemies, and finding the limits between memoir and fiction.
...moreThe more first-time stories I heard, the longer I was willing to wait.
...moreAgainst all odds, Caroline Chege is fighting for female representation in Kenya.
...more