Inkstone Broom

Its abrasiveness (or what you might call asperity) is perfectly calibrated.

Bead Necklace

Inside, I didn’t feel pastel or small or minimal.

Leary’s Stash Box

There were always drugs in the house — because everyone who visited him came bearing gifts.

Mermaid Tears

Pure poetry of title and color.

Radioactive Trinitite

The suicidal ideation of the Cold War was infectious, and I caught it young.

Rabbit Box

I never gave that little silver rabbit to my mother.

Argus Coin

A talisman steering me clear of the Siren song of fear and indifference.

Dinosaur Bones

I wanted to find a dinosaur fossil, badly.

Dashboard Totems

These totems keep me centered and help focus my thoughts when I got driving duty.

Martian Fink Ring

Anyone with five cents could buy one, but I didn’t know that at the time.

Spindle Whorl

One of the first machines invented and used primarily by women.

Peanuts Paperback

A mysterious relic created by routine, familiarity, and sentimentality.

Zippo Lighter

Its inner workings make me think of it as a miniature Modernist building.

Miniature Dice

My talisman keeps me vigilant, wary of the complex bait and switch skills of confidence men.