I’m not superstitious. Good thing. Behind a curtain of clouds, the full moon ushers in Friday the 13th, a day forecasters predict will seal the middle of Missouri in up to an inch of ice. What could go wrong? Erifnus … Read More
Looney Creek
It’s now a sanctuary for animals, this old church at Looney Creek Cemetery. Erifnus doesn’t mind. Buried here, my great great grandfather was shot by a Union firing squad, along with nine other young men, in a terrifying event that … Read More
Foggy Memory
It was a giant, to a kid. The old hotel towered over Route 66 at Highway 63. Atop a glass penthouse that crowned the roof, a green neon pennant glowed through the fog, framed perfectly by my bedroom window as … Read More
All in a Name
Last time I bought a Powerball ticket, the Rams hadn’t left LA yet. This time I bought one, like almost everybody. I knew my chances were infantesimal, but if you don’t buy a ticket… Turns out I was the victim … Read More
Rock On
Sunday evening. Pedaling my Schwinn Continental through downtown Columbia, I noticed something unusual, so I stopped to watch. Hundreds of tuxedos and gowns bedecking a bizarre bunch of freakers, wild daglo hairdos and stunning face jewelry. Twentysomethings and thirtysomethings, most … Read More
Rafting the Mississippi
The days were getting warmer when I got a call from a good friend alerting me that an adventurous soul was about to experience the dream of every American river rat. He’d built a raft, and was looking for crew … Read More
Kingdom Come
It was 10 p.m. when I reached Kingdom City. Fresh water filled a labyrinth of potholes in the parking lot of the Iron Skillet Truck Stop. The depositor, a monstrous thunderstorm, fled the scene, churning east down the highway, framing … Read More
The Road Home
A road might be beautiful. Or trashy. Or homely. But always, it’s the way home for somebody.
Erifnus Caitnop
So I set out to feel every crack in Missouri’s pavement. As with all stories – and symphonies and carnal acts – it was an uneven ride. Although a dozen friends and a handful of reporters rode with me on … Read More