top of page

Robert Roman

Robert

Roman

Empire

RED BRICK ALLEY STORIES

The Killards Are Coming

Every damn day in Religion Class, Sister Anna Banana yapped about the Soviets revving up to start a nuclear war with the new president, Ronald Reagan. She said after the cities burned to Holy Hell, there’d be something called “nuclear winter” that would kill all...

Double-Strength Demon Dogs

Fantastic Freddie was the only altar boy from the Red Brick Alley. He was always consecrating Ritz Crackers and trying to make us eat them like communion wafers. He light-fingered incense from the sacristy, and he blessed water from Old Lady Tully’s spigot...

Laser Loop

I couldn’t see over the tall green school bus seat except when we hit a pothole and I bounced up in the air like a Pop-Tart jumping out of a toaster. Nobody at Saint Augie’s could believe I was allowed to go. My first school picnic ever. I was good from the day I handed in my pink...

The Boy Wonder

How the Hell did Jaggerbush get himself up there? He was clawing his way up into the open window above the Science class door like a real-life gargoyle. The blockhead of a wooden mallet stuck out of the back of his Toughskins where his butt crack was. He wore three...

My Own Private Ulysses: One Cheat Day

My Own Private Ulysses: One Cheat Day

My Own Private Ulysses: One Cheat Day

One Cheat Day On one honey heated Thursday in June, Fast we all roam to eat sweets and not yield. While they call our feast day junk...

5 days ago

My Own Private Ulysses: Sh-Boom, Sh-Bloom

My Own Private Ulysses: Sh-Boom, Sh-Bloom

My Own Private Ulysses: Sh-Boom, Sh-Bloom

Henri Rousseau, The Dream Sh-Boom, Sh-Bloom Here comes Princess Gerty, damn she’s dirty. Hikes up her skirty, my heart’s a-boom boom...

Apr 30

My Own Private Ulysses: Grubby Street

My Own Private Ulysses: Grubby Street

My Own Private Ulysses: Grubby Street

Today’s Hemingway Half-Dozen Prose Poem : Weary Feet? Bloom's Concrete Love Seat

Apr 26

My Own Private Ulysses: The Delights of Spring

My Own Private Ulysses: The Delights of Spring

My Own Private Ulysses: The Delights of Spring

Today’s Hemingway Half-Dozen Prose Poem : Honeybees Humming Hummingbirds Drumming Bloomsday’s Coming!

Apr 20

My Own Private Ulysses: Not Thucydides, The Ulysses Trap

My Own Private Ulysses: Not Thucydides, The Ulysses Trap

My Own Private Ulysses: Not Thucydides, The Ulysses Trap

Art by Johnny Quintanilla Not Thucydides, The Ulysses Trap You crave escape from this Ulysses Trap, Where my grizzled beartrap brain...

Apr 13

My Own Private Ulysses: Poetry Workshop, Incident Report #1

My Own Private Ulysses: Poetry Workshop, Incident Report #1

My Own Private Ulysses: Poetry Workshop, Incident Report #1

Poetry Workshop, Incident Report #1 So, Robert Roman walks into a bar… Wait. Who’s telling this joke? This sounds bizarre. Actually, it’s...

Apr 6

My Own Private Ulysses: Advice For My Vice

My Own Private Ulysses: Advice For My Vice

My Own Private Ulysses: Advice For My Vice

Advice For My Vice “Your work would benefit from some restraint.” Good grief, I thought this was a James Joyce group. Was there a...

Mar 25

2 3 4 5

About The Author

Robert Roman grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, where he sold newspapers to cars from a concrete island. Read more→

CONTACT

bottom of page