CJ Woods III’s Story Archive

I Promise You

May 2, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

In an episode of one of the many cops and robbers TV shows I watch, one of the main characters told someone she was interviewing that she was going to find the person who had committed a crime. She said, with theatrical emphasis, “I promise you.” When I hear that … Read More

A Happy-Maker

April 25, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

My first bride dinged my cellphone at 6:47 a.m. with this message: “Your morning quiz! What is an embarrassment?” My first two grandchildren know that their maternal grandparents have differing talents and as a resource, can be separated into “math grandparent,” and “word grandparent.” They call me for help with … Read More

House Party

April 18, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

No: This will not be about the riotous 1990 film of the same name, starring two young hip-hop stars named Kid and Play. This was a “house party” of the kind where musicians play for a small group of invited guests in a sponsoring person or couple’s home. When my … Read More

The Poetry of April

April 11, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

On Friday, April 5th, my friend sent me a text: “My poem today is ‘The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner.’ ” She wrote that another friend wanted her to read the poem to him so that he could share it with a “group of older men” who were gathering … Read More

Paper

April 4, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

“Welcome to the house of newspapers,” my daughter whispered to my newly-minted granddaughter as she settled her onto my futon for the first of what would be many days of care. The rustling of back issues of The Weekly View was the soundtrack of a dying art form: the production … Read More