From the Archives: The Den of Earl

It was a favorite line of his. More than him saying it, I was frustrated by the expectation that a nine-year-old should know how to thaw and cook red meat. I was forever failing at things I was never taught to do.



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An underwater photo of pink coral in a turquoise sea.

Ngoại and the Coral Reef

I think of time. Like Ngoại, this reef only has so much of it left.


The branches of a large, moss-covered tree extend outward in dozens of different directions.

Every six months or so

There are more emails from a series of strangers. They have questions. They’re confused by my branch on their family tree.


Four closet shelves with an assortment of clothing piles in disarray. Among the items are yellow, gray, and brown knit sweaters; a pale blue and white striped button-down shirt; and T-shirts.

To Have (Stuff) and to Hold

Who were we as an adult couple, not just two college kids sleeping on each other’s hand-me-down mattresses?


A small, window-less jail cell with a single cot and a short stool beside it.

The Court Trip

This is what I deserve, I thought the whole ride from court to county.


low angle photography of green and brown trees under blue sky during daytime

The Perils of Girlhood

I’ve read numerous articles about the murders, searching for some shred of evidence, some hidden rationale for this crime, but the more I read, the faster the details fade, like water smearing ink on a handwritten letter.