A handwritten sign on the elevator door tells me it’s “broke.” I climb six flights to the editor’s office, midday, mid-July Chicago sweat dripping down my neck. I press a buzzer; he calls, “It’s open.” After taking the bus south instead of north, I’ve finally found my way here. Quick glance at my watch, twenty-two minutes left of lunch break. The paycheck from my temp job covers my rent. The editor gestures towards a seat, opens the envelope with my clips. The clock behind him seems to stop while he reads. “They’re good,” he says. “You could write for us.”
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer is a writer, educator, and spiritual director based in Philly. Her weekly Substack Journey With the Seasons shares creative prompts and spiritual practices.