Trying a new set of prompts this week based on texture. I have asked the devoted husband to present me, each morning of this 27th week of my Daily Shorty challenge, with an object that has a notable and uniform texture. Today a rubber eraser, which inspired the first line of my shorty. After the first paragraph, the story went bonkers, in the same way that one of Barthelme’s really goofy, “What on earth is he on about” stories skip across the page just for fun. Not to suggest that my shorty lives in the same house as a Barthelme story. More to say that I thought of him as I wrote it. My story is out on the sidewalk, gazing up at a Barthelme story’s window, blowing kisses.
Working Title: Majick and Me
1st Sentence: His hand was encased in a latex glove, which made it feel fat and dense and rubbery.
Favorite Sentence: Everything is so much more peaceful, in the break room, if I just pretend that yogurt inflames my mucous membranes.
Word Length: 1,194
Photo of Donald Barthelme, courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries.
Daily Shorty 
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