Paul Stinson

Paul Stinson is a student in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. His first chapbook of poems, GOALS (Bottlecap Press), was published in August 2025. His poems and stories have appeared in AMBIT, The Evergreen Review, Hobart, and elsewhere. Originally from Cleveland, he lives in Austin.

GOTH TACOS by Paul Stinson

Tom wore black jeans, black Bauhaus t-shirt, no makeup. Three al pastor on corn, no onions.  Clayre wore the long black lace skirt, black and yellow zebra top, black lipstick. Two barbacoa on flour.  Tom was a lab assistant, Clayre a speech therapist.  Funny, Tom had a daughter named Claire, with an i, a fourth grade sweetheart whom he saw on weekends.  Funny, Clayre had a brother named Tom, a Grade-A turd who did real estate in Phoenix.  Was Tom the coolest, best looking guy at Goth Tacos that Wednesday? Nope. But was he kind enough and safe-seeming enough to…

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