Jim Stitzel
Jack-of-All-Trades, Master of WordsExcerpts from Life
Pieces of Me
I broke, Shattered into a thousand little pieces. And the world broke with me, And around me. Or at least so it seemed. I remained broken for a time, Fragments of myself lying all about, The quiet after a great trauma. But after a time, And little by little, I began...
Year in Review
It's difficult to know just how to summarize this year, to put it into perspective. 2016 has been a universally bad year for everyone, from the number of celebrity deaths to the fiasco that has been the US election cycle to the myriads of personal trials that so many...
Beneath the Surface of Artist Attribution
This image crossed my Facebook feed the other day. It resonated with me immediately because I had just been thinking about how much deep ocean water weirds me out. (Don't ask me why; I don't remember the reason why that particular topic had been on my mind.) But I...
Fiction
Supplicant
The cast-off tennis shoe lies discarded in the gravel by the side of the road, its white leather dry and cracked. Just beyond it stands a sign delineating, in large block letters, a speed zone of 30 MPH. Atop the sign a black bird, smaller than a crow, smaller by...
The Puzzle
“Don’t get discouraged,” the Voice says, right into my ear. Which is weird, because there’s no one there, and I’m not wearing an earpiece. “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” it continues, “so I expect it will take you more than one to solve this puzzle.” I’ve been here for...
A Desperate Plea
Please give me another chance. I know. I fucked things up the first time around. I'd like to make it right. If you'll give me a chance to do so. I know I got the carvings correct. You said so yourself. But I realize that was about the place where my success ended. I...