CJ Woods III’s Story Archive

Dusting

July 6, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

My first father-in-law was a printer, a craft passed down from his grandfather to his father and then to him. He was a quiet and unassuming man, a counterpoint to his bride, who was loud and laughing and cheerfully social. Edgar Hord went about his life in a peaceful manner, … Read More

Other People’s Children

June 22, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

On a recent trip to my “washateria,” a four year-old boy was gamboling about the aisles, roaming from the arcade machines to the folding tables. His mother circled through, occasionally crossing paths with her child as she unloaded washers and loaded dryers. The boy was a bright and happy sound … Read More

Fritzy, The Cat

June 15, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

By some mechanism that I cannot remember activating, I became a member of a neighborhood page, one that is named for my neighborhood. Judging from the posts, the page describes a place that I don’t recognize, though I live in it. It is a neighborhood foreign to me, filled with … Read More

A Call From a Friend

June 8, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

My pool team had been newly eliminated from a pool tournament, and as we packed our gear and disappointments — we’d played poorly and missed an opportunity for more money and a larger tournament — I got a phone call from a friend, and I was delighted by the sound … Read More

School Choice

June 1, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

U. S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ May 22nd visit, and her advocacy for “school choice,” reminded me of an incident of school choice with my eldest daughter. When her parents hauled Lisa away from her friends in Madera, California, to her new home in Clarksville, Indiana, she was not … Read More