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

The Concert

Once I sat down in the seat, the tiredness from the ten-hour flight, the dizziness from waking up too early, the soreness from standing in line for merch, all disappeared. At five minutes to six, I set my phone to Do Not Disturb, slid it into my tote bag, and pushed the bag under my seat. A few audience members were still finding their places, settling down. Tick… tick… The lights dimmed. She stepped onto the stage, singing, “I’m coming for your love.” I stood up and waved my towel and shouted her name. Something salty dropped into my mouth.

Yimi Lu, born in Shanghai, now pretends to settle in Northern California. She builds code by day and disassembles herself by night. yimiwriting.com Instagram: @yimiwriting 

Cruz Loma

Parallel Park