He lived in a 20-by-20 foot studio apartment for fifteen years. He washed his clothing in the sink, and the hallway reeked of his bathroom…
Bob’s Keys the the Kingdom by Alexandria Peary
Category: October 2011
Interview: Beverly Donofrio, memoirist/essayist
When they announced Bev’s name, I think I half expected Drew Barrymore to walk out onto the stage. I had just watched Riding in Cars with Boys only weeks earlier and, despite having read the book first, the image of a brown-haired Barrymore with a Brooklyn accent still resonated in my subconscious. Instead, a slim, tall woman with a very full wig, a funky hat and a glittery dress walked out onto the stage.
The Thing That Worked by Ben Jolivet
… So ran the 1988 TV commercial for Time-Life Books’ Mysteries of the Unknown series—something I always associate with my first time. I was 9. And by “first time”, of course, I mean the first time that crippling panic consumed me. After seeing that ad, I couldn’t sleep for months.
Flat Rate Archives by Mary-Colleen Jenkins
The boxes are sitting on my Seattle steps, bright white against the dark, mildew-stained stairs. I heft them up; they’re surprisingly heavy. I elbow my way inside the front door and drop them on the table with a thump. The red and blue lettering reveals nothing about what’s inside, though I have my suspicions.
Prompts: A New, Interactive Feature
Everyone can get involved with Hippocampus Magazine with {prompts}! Each month, we’ll post a new creative nonfiction prompt, inspired by a real-life event. Fact is stranger than fiction–if we experience something unbelievable, others must have a similar story. Submit your response to the {prompt} below; submissions should be 300 words or less and submitted by…
What to do When You Grow Tired of Everything by Marti Trgovich
I piled everything into a boxy folding cart, the kind only New Yorkers use because we don’t have cars to haul junk in, and pushed it to Goodwill, around the corner on Second Avenue. It was my seventh trip that week.
Insider Tips: Lori M. Myers
Insider Tips is a recurring series in which members of our reading panel and editorial staff share advice about submitting to Hippocampus Magazine. Each Insider Tips Q & A column reflects the opinions of the individual interviewed, not the magazine as a whole. We hope you find this helpful! Advice from Lori M. Myers: 1.…
Reading The Feminine Mystique in Norman Mailer’s Home by Deirdre Sinnott
I was gazing out at Provincetown Bay through the enormous picture window in Norman Mailer’s home. Betty Friedan’s classic analysis, The Feminine Mystique, sat open on my lap. Jessica, an administrator of the Norman Mailer Writers Colony, entered through the patio door, bringing in the chilly fall air and the news that Norris Church Mailer had died.
How I Got to be None of the Above by Alvin Burstein
When I arrived at the Army Induction Center in 1954, I was required to fill out a form so that my dog tags could be punched out. Among the information to be included, beyond name and serial number, was religious orientation. The choices were Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or None. I chose the last.
1968: Chaos and Turmoil, in the Streets, in Our Bedroom by Amalia Pistilli Conrad
“Wake up! Wake up, little Amalia! Wake up, my daughter! We must go, we must go and turn your father in, he’s poisoning me and his stinky family is in cahoots!” The Mother pulls the covers off her nine-year-old daughter’s small body, warm with the scent of sleep and dreams.
