by Elaine Bennett | Jul 21, 2026 | Memoir, Writing
Dad would be well into the bottle most days when I got home from high school. One afternoon he jerked open the front door as I approached and barked, “Get into your room!” I reviewed my actions of the past few days; nothing much stood out. Still, I got into my room....
by Elaine Bennett | Oct 6, 2023 | Memoir, Writing
This piece was first published in So To Speak in October 2023 My mother developed some unusual habits while I was away at college. Most glaringly: after decades of teaching the rules of phonics to elementary school students, she started making up her own. Take, for...
by Elaine Bennett | Nov 11, 2021 | Memoir, Writing
This piece was first published in Autostraddle in November 2021. Back in the olden days — before the internet, I mean — I knew of only two ways to find a girlfriend: in person (at a bar or, during the ’80s, a disco) or by mail. If you were shy — and I was very,...
by Elaine Bennett | Apr 13, 2021 | Memoir, Writing
This piece was first published in The Nasiona in April 2021. My wife’s heart rate looked like a roller-coaster. A particularly boring roller-coaster — only ups and downs — but running at a manic pace. I put my hand on Keane’s arm as she slept; the roller-coaster...