It all started with windmills — Balls to the wall has nothing to do with testicles. Neither does balls out. Both expressions mean working at maximum effort or speed, and the balls in question are part of a device invented in the 17th century — the centrifugal governor. Please, allow me to explain. Centrifugal governors had some balls James Watt designed…

It’s out of Mack’s hands now — Alain shook his head and me a look I knew meant Don’t be a pussy and walked into the patio. The waiter opened the door to the cage, and Alain walked inside. The silent waiter closed the door behind him. I sipped my espresso, but somehow it was already cold…

Showing the bird how it’s done — Alain nodded toward the patio. “Check out that bird.” An unusually large rainbow-billed toucan perched near the top of the massive cage. Like the old man sitting underneath the bougainvillea, the toucan kept to the shadows cast by the leaves of creeping vines thick with brightly colored flowers. As if…

He plays checkers very well — We never would have gone into the Café Lempira if it weren’t for the old man, but when he rasped “Bienvenidos,” and beckoned us toward him with a skeletal arm, Alain jerked his head and darted across the narrow cobblestone street. I followed, the timeworn stones slick under the soles…

Microfiction —

Flash Fiction — If you ask me, there’s too much English in the world already, but I’m not so principled I won’t earn money teaching it while traveling indefinitely. These days I live in Puebla, a central Mexican city of four million dominated by the automobile industry. I help executives, engineers, and logistics…

Favorite stories and the stories behind them — Mom’s Lemon Meringue Pie has made waves and attracted new followers in recent days, so I created this list of favorite stories I’ve written for new folks to check out. The Kid Calls Home The Kid Calls Home Kids and parentsmedium.com My sweetest piece of flash fiction, The Kid Calls Home was written in response to a…

Flash Fiction — Attend a wedding complete with carnitas, micheladas, and fireworks in your friend Rosa’s village. Notice the DJ is playing nothing but cumbias. Ask Rosa to dance. Don’t let on you’re into her. Apologize when you step on her left foot. Take the hint when Rosa tells you she doesn’t like…

Short Fiction — “Wait a minute,” the woman holding the nine-millimeter said. “You know this guy?” Sean looked at me and said, “Yeah.” The woman holstered the pistol and shifted her pint glass to her right hand. The yard sloped downhill from the house. The porch where they were standing was about ten…