Jessica Conaway
Bio
-Winner of Jan 2021 Creative Writer's Society Short Fiction contest
-Honorable Mention in 30 Second Friendships Jan 2021 narrative contest
-Author of numerous half-finished novels gathering dust in my Google Drive
Twitter: @MrsJessieCee
Stories (56/0)
Five Times My Dad Was Right
My dad is a weird dude. I mean, he's not serial killer weird or anything, but he's never quite fit into that Suburban Dad mold I grew up around. In mid-1980s Small Town USA, dads were either contractors or mid-level Bell Telephone executives who drank beer while they mowed the lawn and joined bowling leagues and watched baseball on TV every Saturday. My dad was never into sports. My dad worked in the human services field and listened to Broadway musicals. His mowing-the-lawn beverage of choice was iced tea, and he cultivated sourdough starters decades before it was Covid-cool.
By Jessica Conaway11 months ago in Families
"Stranger Things" Season 4 Theories That Make Total Sense
SEASON 4 IS COMING IN MAY! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! A long, long time ago, when Obama was the president and Corona was a brand of beer, Netflix released an 8-episode sci-fi drama called Stranger Things. It was Goonies meets Stand By Me meets Firestarter, and every sci-fi-horror-loving 80s kid rejoiced.
By Jessica Conawayabout a year ago in Geeks
Dear Hot Mess Mama Friend
You were on the brink of a full-on meltdown the first time I saw you. It was Kindergarten registration day for our kids, and Covid protocols forced it to be held outside in the kind of muggy August heat that made every step feel like wading through bathwater. The school staff was speaking to my overly-excited daughter while I stood on the sidelines, thirsty, hot, and deeply regretting my choice to wear pantyhose.
By Jessica Conawayabout a year ago in Families
An Obituary For My Dog, Who Was a Pretty Good Boy
His Royal Highness Sir Nurmal “Buddy” Conaway died on January 5, 2022, after a brief but debilitating illness. He was either 11 or 12 in People Years — no one has ever been completely sure. Nurmal passed away peacefully in the excellent care of the veterinarian whom he tried to bite on multiple occasions. Nurmal also hated the term “Rainbow Bridge” and instead preferred that we say he is now running a successful bed and breakfast in Doggie Hell with Satan, as an homage to Season 3 Episode 24 of “The Office,” which was his second-favorite episode of the series.
By Jessica Conawayabout a year ago in Petlife
22
“So what exactly do you want?” It is, of course, a loaded question. The list of things I want is long and complicated. I want to go back in time to when our lives didn’t revolve around the great and terrible WE. WE are so excited for Christmas. WE are hosting game night. WE love Grey’s Anatomy. I want the girl that lived above the 8th street laundromat and cooked terrible Indian dishes and had actual feelings and independent thoughts and a unique personality and didn’t care about linens or flowers or types of satin or gourmet cake tastings. I want to open my mouth and yell it all back to her. Instead, I say:
By Jessica Conawayabout a year ago in Fiction
Fall Down
When she was six years old, Sunny Newsome watched a man die. She had just snatched five bucks from Ma’s straw purse and was hiding behind the pork barbecue truck when it happened. He dropped right there on the carnival midway in front of the World Famous Elephant Ears stall, and for a split second the world stopped. And then a crowd began to form around the dying man, and that crowd collectively stared while he sort of flopped around at their feet. Finally a woman stepped forward to help, but by then it was probably too late.
By Jessica Conawayabout a year ago in Fiction
I Don't Know Your Story, But I Can Read Your Hurt
It’s my first time flying in 15 years, and I’m stuck at the Denver Airport. We’re on the third delay and fifth gate change. I was supposed to be in St. George six hours ago, and now my entire work schedule has to be rearranged via spotty cell service in a corner of the overly crowded lounge area.
By Jessica Conawayabout a year ago in Humans
