based on a true story

Part 38: The Brighter Side

by cifanic
February 2, 2016February 9, 2021

Photo: kazuend via Unsplash The exterior is in motion; insides slowly grow. Don’t get me wrong, it’s uncomfortable as all hell. Actually – it sucks.… Read More »Part 38: The Brighter Side

Part 37: Looking Back (Once)

by cifanic
January 11, 2016February 9, 2021

Photo: Greg Rakozy via Unsplash I typically update this blog towards the beginning of every month. In December I wrote three pieces for January and… Read More »Part 37: Looking Back (Once)

Part 36: An Escape For Normal

by cifanic
December 8, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo: Paula Porto via Unsplash Over Thanksgiving my best friend from childhood and her husband announced that they’re having a baby. They made the announcement with… Read More »Part 36: An Escape For Normal

Part 35: A Liminal State

by cifanic
November 3, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo: By Greg Rakozy via Unsplash It was December and the first time visiting San Francisco in years. I was flown out for a job interview… Read More »Part 35: A Liminal State

Part 34: Time’s Up

by cifanic
October 4, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo: Sebastien Gabriel via Unsplash Fuck it. Fuck this. It’s not worth it. This is embarrassing to admit, but those are the words that run… Read More »Part 34: Time’s Up

Part 33: An Even Exchange

by cifanic
September 6, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo Credit: Bullshit Dreams I turned the small square box over in my hands, opening it to reveal a flash of chrome – edges sparkling… Read More »Part 33: An Even Exchange

Part 32: Oddballs, Weirdos and Misfits.

by cifanic
August 30, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo credit: Joseph Logan My favorite people in the world are misfits. They yawn loudly in a hushed yoga class. They say things like “I’m… Read More »Part 32: Oddballs, Weirdos and Misfits.

Part 31: The Soundtrack To Our Lives

by cifanic
August 3, 2015February 9, 2021

“In Our Heads” by Hot Chip, 12″ on limited edition colored vinyl The entire TV on the Radio album “Seeds” reminds me of a guy we’ll… Read More »Part 31: The Soundtrack To Our Lives

Part 30: 6 Months To The Day

by cifanic
July 20, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo Credit: Michael Berwin You can go back to the places you once loved. Sometimes they’re same, yet you never will be. The blemished white… Read More »Part 30: 6 Months To The Day

Part 29: Arguments With Kitchen Magnets

by cifanic
July 9, 2015February 9, 2021

You stare at it. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” For a millisecond I think it says jeans.… Read More »Part 29: Arguments With Kitchen Magnets

Part 28: Navigating The New.

by cifanic
June 21, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo By Sébastien Marchand via Unsplash It takes time, but eventually you begin to feel it. The crossing over. The soil settling around your twitching… Read More »Part 28: Navigating The New.

Part 27: Wildflowers

by cifanic
April 28, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo: Drake Beach in Point Reyes, CA Is it cracking open, or is it breaking? I rub the place over my chest as I stare… Read More »Part 27: Wildflowers

Part 26: The Things That Move Us

by cifanic
March 18, 2015February 9, 2021

And then I moved again, this time to a modern studio in an upcoming neighborhood in Oakland. It was still California, but far away from… Read More »Part 26: The Things That Move Us

Part 25: Friends & Lovers

by cifanic
February 1, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo by Everyday Photography You take one last look around his place. When you arrived, you didn’t care. Yet in his warmth, his kindness, his… Read More »Part 25: Friends & Lovers

Part 24: Let It Be.

by cifanic
January 28, 2015February 9, 2021

photo: keys by Hoder Slanger Bill Withers — Let It Be (opens an in-browser Spotify link) Everything I could think of was in flux, and I had to… Read More »Part 24: Let It Be.

Part 23: Going For Broke

by cifanic
January 23, 2015February 9, 2021

Photo: Chelsea Francis via Unsplash After all of that bedlam I decided dating wasn’t for me after all. It wasn’t so much distracting, as it… Read More »Part 23: Going For Broke

Part 22: Dating, In The City That Never Sleeps.

by cifanic
January 8, 2015February 9, 2021

My therapist predicted I’d date three guys at once. He said that I’d stay out late and fall out of cabs. “It’s a natural reaction… Read More »Part 22: Dating, In The City That Never Sleeps.

Part 21: NYC 2.0

by cifanic
January 6, 2015February 9, 2021

The obvious self talk words Butterflies in my chest Crouched in the belly of the beast. Manhattan quakes above and below. Painful knees… Read More »Part 21: NYC 2.0

Part 20: That Time (We Almost Had Once)

by cifanic
January 5, 2015February 9, 2021

At first, it aches. It hurts like someone removed an organ and your body simply cannot do without. There’s a hole in your chest where… Read More »Part 20: That Time (We Almost Had Once)

Part 19: Legitimate Things That Happen After A Breakup — Pt. 2.

by cifanic
December 1, 2014February 9, 2021

I sit alone in the cafe. The person next to me isn’t scary. I’m not afraid of humanity. People are actually ok. We all mean… Read More »Part 19: Legitimate Things That Happen After A Breakup — Pt. 2.

Nicole C. Lehmann-Haupt is an author and published writer whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in Hypertext Magazine, El Portal, Ignatian Literary Magazine, and Mulberry Literary, among others. In 2021 and 2024, Nicole's work was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She has also contributed to Thrive Global, Yahoo!, Indie Shuffle, and LAist. Driven by a passion for storytelling that resonates across ages, her stories feature misfits, underdogs, and weirdos stumbling upon the extraordinary in an ordinary world. She is currently at work on a short story collection.