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Mark Barkawitz has earned local and national awards for his fiction, poetry, essay, and screenwriting. His work has appeared in newspapers ( L.A. Herald-Examiner, Pasadena Star News & Weekly, Conscience ), magazines ( University Mag., Simply 4 Pets), literary journals and anthologies ( Abraxas, Sojourns, Zyzzyva, Blank Gun Silencer, Fingerprints, Paws & Tales, Sport Literate, Mediphors, Me Three ), underground 'zines ( Inky Blue, Monkeywire ), and is posted on numerous websites. He wrote the screenplay for the feature film, "Turn of the Blade" (NorthStar Ent., '95), has taught creative writing classes at community college level, and coaches a championship track team of student/athletes. He ran the 2001 L.A. Marathon in 3:44:42. He lives with his wife, two teenage children, and breeds golden retrievers (Woof Goldens) in Pasadena, CA. |
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| ::11:23:07::
::: Playing the Straight Man :::
so I'm painting the interior
of this single mom's new home,
when her twelve-year-old son,
who's playing "Super Mario" on
the television across the room,
tells me in all earnestness:
"I'm gonna be a marine biologist
when I grow up."
"really?" I continue my brushwork,
somewhat surprised and impressed
by his particular ambition.
the kid has a learning disability-
attention deficit disorder-
or some other politically correct term.
his ritalin prescriptions stand like
sentries on the bathroom counter,
so I guess I expected less
of his expectations for himself.
"yeah," he says,
pressing the controls in his hands,
which dictate the animated character's
movements in the videogame.
"all my teachers say my grades are
below c level."
my brush stops on the doorframe
and I stare over at him.
sitting cross-legged on the floor,
too busy to look back at me,
his round face smirks like a Buddha's,
as little Mario in his cape
flies across the screen,
alive with calamity. Written by: ~ Barkawitz
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