Chloe Cullen's Blog, page 17
June 7, 2022
As Seen On TV (poem)
An impersonator I’ve tracked in viral sketches as Britney or Timothee
and in Instagram stories with her garage of costumes and bins of wigs
looked at herself in the mirror in the Sunglass Hut in Soho. She hid
her eyes behind a trial pair of sunglasses, black rectangles bulky with glared sunlight,
and a Yankees cap, but I recognized her cheekbones’ shadow…
May 31, 2022
re: my spontaneous & unexplained OOO in may
For my paid subscribers, I’m sorry that I have been inconsistent this month with my weekly newsletters. I think I missed…two? three in a row? For one month with presumably four Sundays, that’s not great.
I will be donating my May funds from the The Collage to Everytown. I don’t want to take your subscriptions or support for granted. And I want to be her…
May 30, 2022
How Is Anyone A Mom?: Redefining Sacrifice in the Face of Shortages
The other week, I celebrated my friend’s birthday by sitting on her couch and letting her make a Wawa run for me.
Colleen, the birthday gal who frequently forgot the occasion that brought me into town was her own birthday, clocked out at noon on Friday and spent her afternoon fetching Coors cases and pub mix (again, for her own birthday celebration). When she joined me in the living room, I answered phones for my boss on speakerphone. Mid-task, I asked, “What am I supposed to be doing?”
“You’re go...
how is anyone a mom???: redefining sacrifice in the face of shortages
The other week, I celebrated my friend’s birthday by sitting on her couch and letting her make a Wawa run for me.
Colleen, the birthday gal who frequently forgot the occasion that brought me into town was her own birthday, clocked out at noon on Friday and spent her afternoon fetching Coors cases and pub mix (again, for her own birthday celebration). When she joined me in the living room, I answered phones for my boss on speakerphone. Mid-task, I asked, “What am I supposed to be doing?”
“You’re go...
May 15, 2022
"Ads for the Unknown" (Short Story)
Friends—SO sorry for the inconsistency. I’m in this weird spot, though it’s the same spot I’m always in, where I’m caught between cities and decisions. I’m in my head and back to therapy (yay?). Next week, I have an essay that feels exciting as my favorite newsletters here have felt. But all of this in-between makes me think of this short story I wrote …
May 3, 2022
the april anniversaries log
On Thursday, my roommate brought a delivery from our door to my room. “Is everything okay?” she asked timidly, potentially wondering if a family member had died or if the flowers were an apology bouquet.
“No,” I said. “It’s just Luke and my four-year anniversary.”
Unlike romanticized “anniversaries” used in conversation, frequently in verbal collaborati…
April 24, 2022
Laura Nejako: "I am funny on paper, and I might not have a name, but this is my way of making my name."
For those of you who have followed the PERF journey from the beginning, you might recognize Laura’s name from either my back cover blurbs or the launch party Q&A. Since we graduated from our creative writing masters in 2019, we have sent each other first drafts and almost made our own literary magazine. We always sought legitimacy, either in our revisions or plans to Write, which we ultimately had to grant ourselves.
Now, Laura is in the pre-sale campaign for her own collection of humor essays, L...
April 18, 2022
Boardwalk Bisque: On Regret
This weekend, I ordered lobster bisque on the Coney Island boardwalk. It’s questionable, I know. Why risk exploding your stomach when the closest comfortable bathroom is either mauled by kids and moms in neighboring stalls or an hour-long subway ride to your own apartment? I’m not some Shellfish Head that reports on bisques all over the world. Why Coney…
boardwalk bisque: on regret + spring recs
This weekend, I ordered lobster bisque on the Coney Island boardwalk. It’s questionable, I know. Why risk exploding your stomach when the closest comfortable bathroom is either mauled by kids and moms in neighboring stalls or an hour-long subway ride to your own apartment? I’m not some Shellfish Head that reports on bisques all over the world. Why Coney…
