JessyFTW

When I think of my childhood I think of being alone and money being worth a lot of cents: I was in first or second grade when I started setting my alarm clock for 630, waking up without hitting snooze, and running myself a bath. Afterwards I dressed myself in plaids and stripes and polka dots and went into the kitchen for a bowl of cereal which I ate while staring at my backyard or watching cartoons. On my way out to the end of the driveway to wait for the bus, I went into my mom's bedroom and gave her a kiss goodbye, as she continued to sleep. When I got home my mom would tell me two things: "I was scared to death – I thought I slept

        The two became inseparable that summer. Tiffany met Charlie after Christmas break when he arrived as the new kid at her school. A few months later Charlie's older brother Phil joined him. The boys moved to the area from their mom's house in the Twin Cities. Tiffany had taken a small liking to Charlie's older brother Phil. Once school let out in May, she began spending time at their dad Pete's trailer. One night, sitting around smoking cigarettes and watching the Kiss movie, Detroit Rock City, Tiffany stood up. "I have to pee," she said as she made her way towards the end of the trailer. Charlie acknowledged her while Phil's eyes fol

The Armand Vidal Show by: Jess Shankland        I used to be enthusiastic about work. The carnival allowed me to travel to new places and meet interesting people. Eventually I realized that every place and every person, no matter where I went, was the same. I guess I became world weary, even though I had never left the states: state weary. Nothing was new, nothing was exciting. When I was eighteen I left home after graduation and joined the traveling Armand Vidal Show. My parents were furious when I told them I was not going to college; especially since I was offered a full ride from the Marcus Cristo Foundation to any school in the count