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JUST BRING YOUR OWN FOOD   The owner of the diner asks me when I can start working with the enthusiasm of a turtle who’d just taken a Vicodin. Plastic plates move through the air, quick as birds in flight. Conversations blur into one loud

The short story below is based on the actual Mattioli Brother’s Bakery that was established by my paternal grandfather and his brothers circa 1920. Although I never met my grandfather because he died before I was born, I heard stories of

The following story is about my maternal grandparents who emigrated from Italy in their early teen years and met in Philadelphia while tailoring, the occupation they shared. Although this is about real people and based on some real events, such

Something He Could See Himself In The empty spot on the bottom of Tattoo Tommy’s back was the only tattooless spot on his body, minus his face and head. It lived right below a tattoo of Mary that looked like one of those statues people put out

How Sibling Relationships Change Over Time—and How I Explore Them in My Novels As the youngest of seven children, I’ve experienced profound and sometimes surprising shifts in my relationships with my siblings. Born seven years after the sibling