Marylee MacDonald

The Grand Prix (new)
A young artist competes for a prize that will take him to Rome, only to discover that he's going to Baja California, still terra incognita. Read an excerpt from a work in progress.

Finding Peter
An art teacher from Boulder tracks her son Peter to Prague and meets a homeless woman who claims to have seen the missing boy.

Almost Paradise
Disfigured by a birthmark, Walter follows his cousin Nico to a backpacker's lodge in Thailand. On a stormy night at Lonely Beach, he connects with Lady-Man and begins to see that his self-consciousness is more common than he'd imagined.

The Ambassador of Foreign Affairs
Elderly Mr. Tanaka steps in to save his volatile daughter's marriage.

Regret
When widowed Mother Gokhale moves to London, Ontario to join her successful son, he hopes his wife Leslie will help the old woman feel she's made the right decision.

Break
Billy, a carpenter's apprentice traveling around the Midwest remodeling malls, learns his boss is planning to let him go. Billy retaliates by revealing the secret of the "Tommy Horse." (Second runner-up in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Competition short story contest, 2010. Publication pending.)

Key West
How do parents know when to let their children fail? Lana Buskirk learns the hard way that she has been coddling her son.

Youthful Acts of Charity
Bonnie Cross finds a Turkish waiter too tempting to pass up, and in the process, learns a lesson about cross cultural attraction.

The Price We Paid
River Oak Review, Fall 1994.

To spare her mother the embarrassment of having a child born "out of wedlock," this honor student signed away all rights to the son she longed to raise.

We Could Have Been Heroines
Being a family caregiver for more than three months puts the caregiver's health at risk. Problems multiply when the healthy spouse works, the sick person needs round-the-clock care, and when there are small children in the house.

Balance
The narrator thinks she has reached her limit, but her son-in-law's breathing crisis makes her rethink her capacity for endurance.

The Plate
Needing a birthday gift for her dying son-in-law's mother, the narrator enlists her grandson's help, and in the process, she learns what he's really thinking about his father's death.

Notes for a New Millennium
River Oak Review, No. 17, Fall 2001

The essay asks hard questions about our collective fear and hubris.

The Quiet Indoor Revolution

"I literally couldn't put it down. Previously obscure details of home heating systems became crystal clear and I made little noises as these revelations dawned."

"If you're interested in old homes and the history of technology, you will find it fascinating."

Keeping Your Cool
You can add air conditioning without tearing up your old house.

Termite Control
Borates, a natural salt, have proven effective in controlling termites.

Finish Revivers
Three cheap ingredients, when shaken into an emulsion, will restore crackled, shellac finishes on woodwork and antiques.

Six Rs of Tile Repair
If you're trying to match old tile, you're in luck. Many common kitchen and bathroom tiles are still being made.