Article Archives: Words with Woods

Racing the Streetcar

December 8, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

As dusk settles over a Pittsburgh neighborhood, three young boys twitch and dance on a street corner. On Oakmont Street, the three can hear the clanging of the bell as a streetcar grumbles down its rails, rocking towards them. They tense as the 82 Lincoln approaches the corner and grinds … Read More

Peace, Be Still

December 1, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

A molten thought bubbled up from the man’s angry brain and blistered his lips as it exited. He was in his car, and once again, he was the embodiment of “rage in a cage.” He was the perfect driver and all around him were people whose skills were deficient, and … Read More

Wood

November 24, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

I saw a video of a man dropping a great axe onto a chunk of wood, splitting it in two, and a frisson of pleasure burst through my bloodstream: I remembered chopping wood. My first-ever house was purchased in Madera, California, which is in the middle of the San Joaquin … Read More

A Conversation With a Friend

November 17, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

A friend sent me an email with an invitation to see a play; I was unable to get tickets to the play, but her invitation was two-fold, and included a “meet for coffee” at the Heidelberg Café. I’ve known Karyn and her husband, Dave, since we three worked together at … Read More

Uphill Both Ways

November 10, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

“I notice that you do a power walk when you go uphill,” my brother said to me one day. We were walking back down the street that led to his apartment after an uphill walk to the grocery store. I had spent, to that date, three weeks at his place … Read More