CJ Woods III’s Story Archive

Out of Tune

August 8, 2024 | by CJ Woods III

This column first appeared in the Aug. 5, 2016 issue. “The world is too much with us; late and soon, / Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see in Nature that is ours; / We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!” — William Wordsworth … Read More

Barefoot Running

August 1, 2024 | by CJ Woods III

Looking out of my front door, I saw a young runner approaching the intersection of E. St. Joseph Street and N. Hawthorne Lane. I opened my screen door just as he turned South on Hawthorne, toward Ellenberger Park. My toes curled up involuntarily when I saw that the young man … Read More

Get A Horse, And A Sword

July 25, 2024 | by CJ Woods III

I was a shy and lonely high school freshman, clustered with the “W’s” at the back of the class, when I was befriended by one of the most popular girls in school. I responded in the way of all adolescent boys: I fell in love. But she was popular and … Read More

Chess On Felt

July 18, 2024 | by CJ Woods III

Two men came into the back room of Si Greene’s Pub in Indianapolis; one of them was carrying a pool cue case. They passed me as I was surveying the pool table, trying to determine what would be my next best shot. I was my own opponent in the game … Read More

Toast And An Egg

July 11, 2024 | by CJ Woods III

In a burst of zeal, I sent “Happy Mother’s Day” texts to many of the mothers in my family, including my daughters, my former brides, my sister, and my nieces. One of my nieces is a physician, someone who gave me a diet that staved off my gout outbreaks, the … Read More