My Cardboard Balcony

We opened the bookstore to the public on Monday, and reception, so far, has been incredibly positive. I can say with utter sincerity that I really like my job, even though I was skeptical as to whether or not I'd get bored of it. The truth is, working with the public and working with books is a great combination for me, and while it's not a teaching job, it's a job that allows me to promote reading and independent bookstores to a large city in my county, which is fantastic, if you ask me. So far, I am averaging about 25-30 hours a week working at the store. While that's still not ideal, it's a lot better than I expected, so I just have to be careful about my spending and budgeting. I'm having a blast with my coworkers despite my occasional slip-ups at the register since, well, I'm still learning. About ninety-five percent of the customers, which include a couple of local authors who have swung by and signed the books of theirs that we have on hand, are an

Deleted Scenes by Belinda Roddie FADE IN: August. “You are going to be my Princess Charming. And I am going to be your Snow White.” That’s what you said to me over the white film around the brim of your cup. I stirred the whipped cream in my hot chocolate until it nearly turned orange. Whisked ember gratitude in Styrofoam. Asiago bagel with cream cheese. Simple aromas caught in the cliff of my throat. You were going to be trouble for me. So much trouble. You were dressed in purple again, sequins. I couldn’t get enough of it. Couldn’t get enough of the way your smile spiked the air and made me drunk on oxygen, heaving, slippery hands against slippery wood, the mosaic of freelance well-wishers dripping from the tell-tale walls. “Have you ever loved a man?” “No.” “Why not?” Questions. Cheap discourse. A silver dollar you found in your pocket, waiting to be squandered. The conversation was only over when you said it was over. FADE OUT. FADE IN: November. W

We have a little hero running through San Francisco, saving Lou Seal at the Giants stadium and stopping villains with their zany plans. To see the mini caped crusader bound across the Embarcadero is a glorious sight to behold, as our city becomes Gotham for a little while to fulfill a youthful dream. This is the kind of thing that restores some faith into humanity. It shows that we are one people, desperate to make a child a hero for a day just to see a streak of happiness paint its way across a masked sanguine face.