500 Words

The ancestors sing

and arrive by mail

Feb 22 • Martha Conway

4

1

Football and the Parallel Universe

I can’t say much about football.

Feb 9 • Martha Conway

6

3

January 2026

Bit o'Inspiration

Your voice as stained glass

Jan 30 • Martha Conway

9

6

Cut whatever bores you

my 2026 writing rules

Jan 20 • Martha Conway

7

14

December 2025

A thing is a thing

I was walking down the street and I noticed a young girl—eight or nine years old, I’d guess—moving her arms around in different poses on the sidewalk…

Dec 18, 2025 • Martha Conway

9

6

McDog

Yup, that's his name

Dec 12, 2025 • Martha Conway

10

11

November 2025

Now We Are 100

My sister Therese, chronicler of the Stories of Elmford, has a phrase she likes to use: “Gifted with a magic oomph.” I have that phrase taped up under…

Nov 14, 2025 • Martha Conway

8

15

Hello darkness

my old friend

Nov 2, 2025 • Martha Conway

6

14

2

October 2025

I bite fascists

(still missing my dog)

Oct 19, 2025 • Martha Conway

6

1

September 2025

"This was after I was already not there"

So said a friend of mine about something that happened at her former place of work.

Sep 26, 2025 • Martha Conway

14

6

1

August 2025

AI Ate My Baby

I was working on a novel that takes place in Germany in the 17th century and I thought: How would ChatGPT write a letter that takes place at this time?

Aug 23, 2025 • Martha Conway

8

11

You do not have to be good

I told my kids

Aug 17, 2025 • Martha Conway

10

9