Creative Writing
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Catching Memories
On August 25, 2026, I will mark the six-month anniversary of my stroke. Over the next few days, I’m revisiting my early writing from that traumatic period. It’s strange what you miss when you have a stroke. One moment, your… Continue reading
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Searching for Words
On August 25, 2026, I will mark the six-month anniversary of my stroke. Over the next few days, I’m revisiting my early writing from that traumatic period. Something changes in you when your brain breaks. A stroke. Even a mild… Continue reading
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Broken Brain
On August 25, 2026, I will mark the six-month anniversary of my stroke. Over the next few days, I’m revisiting my early writing from that traumatic period. Last February, I experienced a mild stroke caused by a blockage in the… Continue reading
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Writing For My Life
The following was written in response to a college assignment to read “Write Like a Motherfucker.” I don’t remember whether I read this somewhere or someone told me: Writing is writing. Period. If you’re not vomiting words onto the page… Continue reading
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America, My Country Too
I was born in the United States of America and grew up here. The South Bronx.From an early age, I was taught that this nation was the greatest in the world. No doubts about it.In Catholic elementary school (1954-1962), we… Continue reading
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The Ten Things on My Mind
My recent stroke has compelled me to reevaluate my life and goals. Here are the ten issues I am most focused on. 10. Keeping My Sanity Have you ever been hit by a torrent of water from a fire hose?… Continue reading
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Breaking Eggs
There are many ways to break an egg. You can break an egg by cracking it on a flat surface like a countertop or the edge of a bowl, tapping two eggs together, or using a specialized egg-cracking tool. Each… Continue reading
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The Last Days of Fear and Anxiety
This essay was originally published on October 11, 2024, one month before the election that returned Donald J. Trump to power. Thanks, America. “The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for… Continue reading
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DoomScrolling
My name is Antonio Ruiz, and I am a DoomScroller. There, I said it. “Doomscrolling (or doom scrolling) is the compulsive habit of continuously scrolling through social media or news feeds to consume negative, distressing, or alarming content.” Nuffield Health… Continue reading
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Those Illegals
We don’t care.There is no empathy left in us.No sympathy.No care in the universe.We know who they are.Where they came fromacross an oceanEnglandPortugalSpainFranceItalyGermanySo many lands We have enough pain in our worldwe cannotwill notassume the debt of their painWe refused… Continue reading
