Five Minutes explores five minutes of a life in one hundred words. Five minutes is edited by Susanna Baird, with editorial support from managing editor Maria s. picone, newsletter editor kate meen, and founding reader bobbi lerman, plus our rotating team of guest readers, who you can meet in the latest newsletteR. Five Minutes was founded in October 2020, with the Salem (Mass.)-based writing group Carrot Cake Writers supplying the journal’s first pieces. We’d love to read your five. Submit here

kicked out '97

I drove the Dynasty for nine hours straight listening to a single Melissa Ferrick CD, chain smoking Marlboros, drinking Dr. Pepper, and sometimes crying until I made it to 1822 Morse Street where Jules had made spaghetti and Rae had baked brownies and neither asked me any questions—not why I had to immediately leave home or how long I was planning to stay or if I was going to be able to help with the rent—instead Kris put on Ani Difranco’s Living in Clip while Rae set the table and Jules highlighted her charges on the Working Assets phone bill.

Jama Shelton is a trans masc professor of community organizing, creative writer, proud papa, and big time nerd. Instagram: @paging_drjama 

Anxiety