Five Minutes explores five minutes of a life in one hundred words. Five minutes is edited by Susanna Baird, with editorial support from managing editor Maria s. picone, newsletter editor kate meen, and founding reader bobbi lerman, plus our rotating team of guest readers, who you can meet in the latest newsletteR. Five Minutes was founded in October 2020, with the Salem (Mass.)-based writing group Carrot Cake Writers supplying the journal’s first pieces. We’d love to read your five. Submit here

Not Considered

My father and I drive back from visiting his side of the family, a family that includes farmers, doctors, and teachers—practical people who rarely head into a situation without thoughtful deliberation. I’m in my final year of high school and recently announced plans to go to art school, a life-long dream. Out of the blue my father asks if I’ve considered his alma mater, making note of its architecture program. I impulsively blurt out No, closing the door on any further discussion. Only later do I wonder whether he was impressed by my conviction or disappointed in my narrow-mindedness.

Ron McDougall primarily writes fiction. His interests are varied, but he’s first and foremost a storyteller. Find him at ronmcdougall.ca.

Whodunit?

Then