STRAIGHT UP AND NO SKY THERE ALSO BY STEPHANIE DICKINSON Road of Five Churches Corn Goddess Half Girl STRAIGHT UP AND NO SKY THERE STEPHANIE DICKINSON RAIN MOUNTAIN PRESS NEW YORK CITY 2010 $12 Copyright 2010 Stephanie Dickinson STRAIGHT UP AND NO SKY THERE by Stephanie Dickinson. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form what- soever without written permission of the author, except in the case of reviews or other critical articles. Designed by David G. Barnett/Fat Cat Graphic Design www.fatcatgraphicdesign.com Printing by Publishers Graphics, Carol Stream, IL ISBN: 0-9802211-8-8 Cover art La Mona Bleu by Michael Weston Rain Mountain Press www.rainmountainpress.com
[email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS FIRST LOVE WEST SIDE HIGHWAY 9 STRAIGHT UP AND NO SKY THERE 31 THE SNOW LEOPARD STALKS THE RIVER 47 BIG AIMEE’S PINK ALLIGATOR BOOTS 67 LUCKY 7 & DALLOWAY 85 SWEETNESS OF IRAQ 101 VALLEJO TO ISABELLA 115 VILLAGE OF BUTTERFLIES 131 GOATSUCKERS 141 KLARA’S BOY 157 THE GIRL WHO WATCHED 175 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to the editors of the following magazines where the stories in this manuscript appeared or will be appearing: “First Love West Side Highway,” Storyglossia “Straight Up and No Sky There,” Water-Stone Review “The Snow Leopard Stalks the River,” Gargoyle “Big Aimee’s Pink Alligator Boots,” Portland Review “Lucky 7 & Dalloway,” Salamander, NEW STORIES OF THE SOUTH, BEST OF 2008 “Sweetness of Iraq,” Natural Bridge “Vallejo to Isabella,” Skidrow Penthouse “Village of Butterflies,” Green Mountains Review “Goatsuckers,” Ballyhoo Stories “Klara’s Boy,” Ruminate “The Girl Who Watched,” Stone Canoe For Janet and Marge FIRST LOVE WEST SIDE HIGHWAY TAXI he taxi raced, skimming over the West Side Highway, all the side- Twalks Danielle trudged earlier, all the Walks and Don’t Walks, now flew away in a blur of gray.