Three new What Happened When Frank Died stories are now available for free on Talk Vomit. Three new What Happened When Frank Died stories. Three new gorgeous pieces of art by Nikita. Hi everyone, This week I’m sending out an update on my What Happened When Frank Died series in Talk Vomit. If you want to just jump right to the stories, here are the … Continue reading Dogs, Death, and Dancing
It took until my late twenties for all of my excessive bad habits to catch up to me. And, it was two years after that before I started (trying) to improve my health in different ways; LASIK, Yoga, trying (and failing) to quit smoking. These four essays reflect milestones in this process and they were published over the past six months in Human Parts. … Continue reading New Essays and Art from Ben & Nikita
Hi Guys, The Drabble, a magazine that publishes stories that are less than 100 words, just published a very short story I wrote a while back titled “A Brief History of IKEA” about the truth behind the founder of IKEA. No, not that he was a Nazi. It is so much worse. Check out the story by clicking HERE like and leave a comment if … Continue reading A Brief History of IKEA
I’ve only been to New York City once. I drove in with my cousin. He lived in Brooklyn, working as a stunt double and he had my name. It was a lovely day. We got Creole food and took it up to the roof of his apartment complex. Down the street there was a party going on and people were shouting things like “Hey!” and … Continue reading “Jump”
“Do you need an English-speaking doctor?” the nurse asks N, in Russian. N looks to me. “Preferably,” I tell him. He tells the nurse. She directs us to wait. The waiting room is the size of a church; high ceilings and a lot of glass. “This is a nice hospital.” “Mm,” N says. We wait. In the ugly light of the hall I can see … Continue reading Doctors with Tiny Hands
Q sits in my kitchen drinking a canned gin and tonic from a dirty wine glass. “I can’t make any friends in Russia,” he says. I wait. “Q.” He turns. “We’re friends.” He shrugs. “Kind of.” “Kind of how?” “We are just two people who don’t really listen to each other talk. That’s much better than friends.” I frown. “How is that better than friends?” … Continue reading How to Make Racist Friends and Alienate People
Sticky post
Day 365, the end. For those of you who didn’t know, this website was a collaborative project between Nikita Klimov and Benjamin Davis. Ben is from Massachusetts, U.S.A., and Nikita is from Moscow, Russia. They both live in St. Petersburg, Russia for some reason no one can ever seem to grasp. Since October 17th, 2016, Ben has written a flash fiction story every day. He … Continue reading 365 Days Later: End of our Challenge
I’ve been told numerous times never to go into a bar at the bottom of a set of stairs in Russia. I always remember this just after I find myself, inhaling dust, surrounded by cracked support beams and dirty looks. To be fair, this time there are just two dirty looks; a young bartender and a man with hair so dark and skin so pale … Continue reading The Devil with Sawdust in his Hair
Every time I’ve tried to fall asleep for the past ten-or so years, I’ve spent the first twenty minutes–eyes closed–thinking the same thing; it takes the average person seven minutes to fall asleep. Next, I decide it’s time to quit smoking. This goes on for another fifteen or so minutes before I get too stressed-out and need a cigarette. Last night I sat up in … Continue reading Oral Fix-Nation!
