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

The Park

Oppressive heat as I walk through the park. I’m not myself. Dressed in black. Heavy clothing. Uncomfortable shoes. Today I’m Susan B. Anthony, grateful that I’ve not added twenty-five pounds of undergarments. To my right people are sitting among the ducks and chastising them for nipping. Maybe the ducks want to be left alone. To my right, an array of lovely flowers grace the building. People I encounter avert their eyes, not sure what to make of me. The children are not afraid and make eye contact with wonder and curiosity. My speech today will be about their precarious future.

Linda McKenney is an historical reenactor, story teller, and writer. Find Linda at majok.org and at susanbanthony.live.

Moses

Secret Language