Writing
Fiction
His First Bar
The Packingtown Review, Volume 16 Fall 2021 │I wrote this structural parody in honor of the 100 year publication anniversary of the magnificent short story, “Her First Ball,” by Katherine Mansfield
Itch
Madison Review│Reprinted in the Windy City Queer Anthology
Connected That Way
Defuncted: A Collection of Forgotten Things│River Oak Review│Performed at The Museum of Contemporary Art as part of Chicago Public Radio’s ‘Stories on Stage’
Father Figurine
The Nervous Breakdown│Literary Friendship Interview
ALA Best Books For Young Adults
Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers’ Choice Master List
TAYSHAS Reading List (Texas)
Wyatt Reaves takes the seat next to you, bloodied and soaking wet, and he is a big-fisted beast. Tell him to stretch out like an X across asphalt and you’ve got a parking space. But Wyatt’s been taking it lying down for too long, and he is NOT happy. Since he turned twelve and a half, he’s been living with his uncle, a traveling salesman of mysterious agenda and questionable intent. Soon, Uncle Spade sees the potential in “kiddo” to earn cash. And that’s enough to keep the boy around for nearly six years. But what life does Wyatt deserve? Alcohol? Drugs? Bare-fisted fights? Tattoos? No friends? No role models? Living in a car? If you’re brave enough to stay and listen, you’ll hear an astounding story. It’s not a pretty road Wyatt has traveled, but growing up rarely is.
Creative Nonfiction
Letting Bunnies Go
Foreigner in a Straight Land
Briefly Knocked Unconscious by a Low Flying Duck: Stories from 2nd Story
“We drove around Evanston, Illinois in Lisa’s Toyota RAV4 with Xena sitting in the back seat. We pulled into an empty Dominick’s parking lot, hot-boxed the RAV4, and blew smoke in Xena’s face.” This is just one of many memorable moments to come from this collection of 23 essays by members of the 2nd Story Group in Chicago. The book is filled with laugh-out-loud gags and witty anecdotes, not to mention heartbreak that’s often underplayed, yet still impossible to miss. One need only look as far as the stories’ titles to get a sense of this anthology’s unique flavor. There’s Byron Flitsch’s “Dirty Dancing,” Molly Each’s “A Prostitute Comparison,” the aforementioned “Xena: Cardboard Princess” by Sara Kerastas, and Patricia Ann McNair’s heartfelt closing piece “Return Trip.” The stories are endlessly relatable and their tellers are true masters of the craft, able to make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to do it all over again once you’ve finished. This collection will demand, and receive, return trips from its readers. –Publishers Weekly
Lyrics
Window Across the Way
Stepping Out of a Dream Andrew Distel
Wait for Me & Your Last Song
It Only Takes Time Andrew Distel
“Andrew has an intimate style that is well served by his attractively warm and gently persuasive vocal sound. Male vocalists remain something of a rarity in jazz and it is good to add this fine singer to the ranks. This album will appeal to the audience for jazz and to that for classic pop and must surely bring him many new fans.”
— Bruce Crowther, Jazz Mostly