PAUL MATTHEW CARR
All Features & Articles
In the Swirling Sands I Jump
I stand atop the Sand Dunes at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo, the blood of Christ, my back to the wind. The sand swirls around me, my pockets fill with it, and my
Last Words
Jack began to think the wound was superficial because there was no pain. Sure, there was pain when the knife went in, sharp and cold, but now there was nothing. He was numb. Sleep. That
Story Graphs by Kurt Vonnegut
I had the privilege of hearing Kurt Vonnegut speak once toward the end of his life. I was overwhelmed by his humor and humanity. He was a unique and brilliant individual. The video below
I Remember Magic
I am driving home from work in the rain. The traffic is heavy and I am upset. Not at anything, in particular, just a strange combination of angry-sad, non-focused malaise. I have a feeling of
Guest Post: Bohemian Rain
A Guest Post from David HicksMy father is long gone, having died in January 2007, and at first he seemed to hang around—at the foot of my bed, threatening to twist my toe to wake
Memory Cheats
The past is not romantic. It is not an adventure. It is not a drama. It is neither a comedy nor a tragedy. It is not any of these things. But it is all of
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” has for a long time been my favorite “ghost story,” not solely because of how well it is told, but also because it is, for me, a “local” tale, in
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
It is a question we’ve all been asked at least once at some point in our childhood. And the answer, at least for me, would change depending on the time and place or the frame
I Can Hear the Fireworks Up & Down the Line: 4th of July Memories
It is Independence Day. There is red, white and blue bunting hung from porches and windows. The air has the scent of smoke; it’s there in the background but always present. You almost don’t notice it...
Sand & Sea: The Impermanence of Objects, 1st Meditation
Once, a long time ago, I lived in a house near the edge of the world. In the winter, when the air was still, I would lie awake at night and listen to the Ocean,
The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
"And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." "The Masque of the Red Death" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe originally published in 1842. It tells the
Glass & Sky: The Impermanence of Objects, 2nd Meditation
Once, a long time ago, I stood in the sky far above the world. The observation deck of the World Trade Center was more than 1000 feet high. The windows were wide, floor-to-ceiling glass. The
In a Forest Dark and Gloomy
I sit and look out my back window into the yard behind my house. It is large and full of trees; a combination of fir and pine and aspen. On this day, early in the
Notes from the Dreaming: A Shape in the Darkness
In the darkness, you were dreaming. Dreaming and that is all. You did not see what you thought you saw. You did not experience what you thought you thought was so real. There was not
The Year When I Was New
Sixteen. Sixteen was a good year. Oh, to be sure it was a year of fear and social awkwardness. For a year I spent the majority of the time confused and unaware of my surroundings
The Faraway Lands
My first trip to the Faraway Lands came through a Magical Box and was quite unexpected. It happened when I was seven years old and grounded. Now, to my knowledge, there are three ways to
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