In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

  • Grace
  • Cedric Rudolph (bio)

Grandma M. took me to the ladies’ room.The women protected mein their ring of laughter.They squeezed my dimples,scooped me upwherever they went—to the church in Selma,to the track at the Y.With them, I cast penny wishesinto the fountainat Western Hills Mall,sewed lace doll dresses,painted a ceramic Nefertiti.In a collection plate, they stacked fundsfor Biloxi.Ms. Finch gave me quarters.Ms. Pat said, “Boy, you fat.”Ms. Faniel told me to stay in school.I entered the other room one day—white urinal monsters,dirty tile walls.I never met strangersoffering spiked candy,but I thank the women in the ladies’ room [End Page 713] who surrounded me like stones.Fluorescents above themflickered broken halos. [End Page 714]

Cedric Rudolph

Cedric Rudolph currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA. He teaches writing to jail inmates through Chatham University’s Words Without Walls program, the same school from which he received an MFA in Writing and Pedagogy. His work is forthcoming in The Laurel Review.

...

pdf

Share