Barb Dukeman
Bio
After 32 years of teaching high school English, I've started writing again and loving every minute of it. I enjoy bringing ideas to life and the concept of leaving behind a legacy.
Stories (112/0)
Don't Jump to Conclusions
Tessa examined her new apartment from the terrace out front. It was a forgettable, two-story building erected in the 1950s. Once she turned 18, her parents said, out you go. She brought up box after box to her tiny one-room apartment in Hamilton, away from the big cities of New York, away from her parents, away from the shallow dorks at her high school. It was all she could afford with her part-time jobs, and by the look of the building, she overpaid. The topmost floor of a brownstone had four windows that faced the outside, and other than the transom window at the top of the door, very little light came in.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Fiction
- Top Story - July 2021
Why Do I Go to the Beach?
Jimmy Buffet wrote, “Mother, Mother Ocean/I have heard your call.” Well, I’ve finally been asked, “Why the Beach?” I’ve tried to resist saying, “Why not?” and instead, I’ll attempt to delineate why “moonlit walks along the beach” is not just a cliché in my world.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Earth
The Edge of the World
“The final turn is always the tricky one,” Hennessy remembered. “Most ships don’t make it that far.” She adjusted the metal-framed spectacles that adorned her top hat and looked out toward the horizon. “I’ve known many a dear captain that never returned.” She handed Jameson her watch that once belonged to her father and murmured, “Would you be so kind as to drop this off at the watchmakers’ shop when you’re in town? I believe it’s a bit off.”
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Fiction
Iron-clad Friendship
Dan had suffered enough of the world around him. His job at the factory ended years ago, and he was barely making ends meet with his meager social security check and odd jobs as a handyman. His friends called him “Dan the Man,” but his friends were moving away or dying on him. His wife divorced him and moved back home to her parents’ home in Ohio, and his sons and daughters lived in distant countries: Japan, Germany, Switzerland. He couldn’t just hop on a plane and visit them. He felt alone and decided to do something about it.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Families
The 4th Annual Persian Festival Celebrating Nowruz 1397
There’s nothing more American than a local festival. As a Floridian, I’ve attended many of these events celebrating diverse themes such as rattlesnakes, kumquats, strawberries, pirates, the English Renaissance, and the Greek Epiphany. When visiting the Daytona-Ormond Beach area for spring break in 2018, a banner for an upcoming festival caught my eye: Come Celebrate Nowruz 1397. Always up for an adventure, we decided it would be added to our vacation agenda. On Sunday, March 18, 2018, my husband and I visited this community event.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Feast
Learning Curve
Coralee went about her day, starting with the usual cleaning of her house. She rubbed warm water on a dish towel in her sink, on the appliances, and then the tile floor, scouring as she griped. Her sister from up north was visiting and suggested she use common cleaning solutions. Anyone would do, even natural ones. “Coralee, you know you can make your life easier with spray cleaner. Not to mention this house would smell a lot better.” The house had become dingy, and a musty smell permeated the walls and curtains.
By Barb Dukeman3 years ago in Families