Hollering Zen Cones, Part 2
On October 11, 2020 by irwinRecently, an older Chinese lady stopped me on the trails near my home. She said my 16-month old son was beautiful. I said, thank you. She added that he looked like a hermaphrodite. I returned the compliment. She looked askew at me. I am glad that my son looks like a cute hermaphrodite (zhong-xing). I
Confessions of a Phone Slut
On September 21, 2020 by The CatbirdBY LEAH MUELLER The silver-tongued Leah Mueller sneaks us into the world of 1970s phone addiction. If you drop out of college before you turn 20, you might end up selling sex for a living. At least, this was true in 1979, before the internet was a prayer inside the testicles of porn entrepreneurs. Jerking
Dung, Part Two
On September 11, 2020 by irwin[This is Part Two; see Part One here] I stand before the fishmonger at the compact grocery west of the university. I am sick with letters; broken with images; music has shackled me; I have undermined Nature, Father Time skips over me. Phrases of unknown origin Chinese my brain. Can “Chinese” be used
Our First and Last Day on Earth
On September 1, 2020 by irwinRenowned poet Charlie Brice is getting older. Bolder. Brighter. Lighter. Or just more aged. Upon turning 70, he lost his sight and then his hearing. Or was it the other way around? He cannot remember. From Charlie comes four flashes of one night: Four Haiku At night in bed my dreams hide behind a glass
Burn After Reading
On August 21, 2020 by Lucy LeeI found this anonymous post shortly after the federal soldiers arrived to Portland in response to buildings being set afire, among other activities. I found the post hilarious, and I assure you that no one associated with Catbird Lit wrote this. This is authentic “found” art: Some people have been saying that to end the
Hollering Zen Cones
On August 5, 2020 by irwinSuccess After reciting my poem and making a few explanatory remarks, you point at my nose and say, “You have a hanger-on.” I wonder, is this what success feels like? From Jillian Brady’s new book, Machines that make Machines, available here. This poem, for me, is in part about acceptance of the lives and struggles
I’m Not Your Fucking Inspiration
On July 30, 2020 by Nicole CortichiatoWaukegan, Illinois March 9, 2017 (Staring out the window at the birds hungrily eating at our bird feeder.) DEAR GOD, Ever play the “what if” game? Like what if everyone in the world had to put their toenail clippings in one landfill? Then, what if an artist was hired to make a sculpture out of
Ha! Stereotypes Ha! Story/Video Competition
On July 29, 2020 by irwinStory, Essay, Memoir and Video Competition $300 for the winner, or split between multiple winners. Stereotypes can kill. But that’s not funny. That’s tragic. Create something at least somewhat humorous or amusingly ironic or smirkingly kafkaesque. Pictured above is Radio Raheem from Spike Lee’s most important joint, Do the Right Thing. The movie alternated between funny
The Sadie Hawkins Dance
On May 5, 2020 by irwinThis is Chinese Eggplant, Zach thought, shaped more like a banana than an egg. Purple, like the American eggplant, but tastes better. “The flavor is more concentrated,” said Zach’s mother, as if reading Zach’s mind. “That’s why it’s better.” Zach picked up the knife and made an incision down the center of the Chinese eggplant,
Chinese Buckwheat
On April 22, 2020 by irwinPresenting the first chapter of Bing Bang, an ongoing memoir by Mr. Bing Bang, a weak-willed Oriental American publicly pondering his life and surreal times. In this installment, “Chinese Buckwheat” aka Bing Bang drops a flaming crayon on his polyester pants. Southern Baptist madness ensues.