Alex Behr

Alex Behr’s debut story collection, Planet Grim, was published by 7.13 Books in 2017. Her work has appeared in Tin House, Salon, Cosmonauts Ave., The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She teaches creative writing residencies at Portland, OR, high schools through Writers in the Schools.  Her website: http://alexbehr.com.

THE PROBLEM WAS STARTING by Alex Behr

The problem was coming up with reasons to scoop rice on the plate one more night. The stove worked. She could boil water. Pasta. Rice. Pasta. Rice. Boil and pour and scoop and swallow. The problem was the streetlight. The streetlight leaked through the blinds, and she could put the extra pillow over her head, but she feared the nightmares. She waited until the birds started singing or squawking or whatever they did at 4 a.m. from branches the cat couldn’t reach.  The problem was her son: she forgot to smile at him. But she scooped the rice. She scooped the pasta. She…

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