REVIEWS
Literary Publications
“My Father’s Shadow”
Months to Years 2022
“Prague”
Blood & Thunder Fall 2022
pp 173-178
“Dinner Hour”
Blood & Bourbon Fall 2022
Pushcart Prize Nominee
Stairwell
A crowd gathered outside as Joe watched through a grimy kitchen window. People huddled in groups of twos and threes facing a deserted apartment building. Joe scanned the area then checked the time on the microwave—7:00 a.m. Folks were getting ready to leave for work. He didn’t recognize most of them; he had moved to Syracuse only recently. Besides, night shifts in the warehouse prevented him from crossing paths with normal day jobbers. …..
SELECTED FULL STORIES
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The Boy
I stare at the artwork of bright yellow, red, and blue that my children created with finger paint. This picture of their hands hangs on the wall of my office. It is an image of playfulness and youth. Meditatively rocking in my leather swivel chair, I savor the steam from a freshly brewed cup of…
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Flies
The beauty of the adult fly belies its immature state. Fully developed blow flies are pollinators, drawn to the aroma of food or flowers. Their larvae are scavengers of necrotic tissue. Those of us who wield the swatter with murderous venom sense the disgusting childhood of these nuisance bugs.
Forensic Articles
31(1):18-21
“Deaths with Transdermal Fentanyl Patches”
American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, March 2010
52(3):702-705
“Traumatic Asphyxia in Weightlifters”
Journal of Forensic Sciences, May 2007
47(2):15-27
“Carbon Monoxide in Swimmers”
Check Sample Forensic Pathology Series, ASCP, February 2005
Archived blogs
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Voices
“Hi, you’ve reached John and Kelly. We’re not here to take your call right now, so leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.” The voice is cheery like the one we all use for our phone tags. I listen to these reminders of the recently departed life with…
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When He Snapped
Afterward, no one could explain why he had done it. It happened while Ashley was watching television, an after-school cartoon, Rugrats, maybe, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, sitting cross-legged on the carpet, her face inches from the screen. Her mother would have scolded her for ruining her eyes or absorbing harmful radiation or not doing…
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The Canal
“Will there be girls?” the teen asked eagerly, brushing red bangs from his forehead. “Copy that,” crackled the radio followed by, “but it’s not at my home 20.” Eddie huddled next to his roommate who was speaking into the handheld. He raised his eyebrows and mouthed, “What’s he mean?” Their garage was base station for…