Bio

J. T. Townley has published in Harvard Review, The Kenyon Review, The New York Review of Books, Slate, The Threepenny Review, and many other magazines and journals. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize (five times) and the Best of the Net Award. His recent book is Firsts Abroad (Rutgers University Press, 2026). He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, a PhD in Sociology from University College London, and an MPhil in English from Oxford University, and he directs the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program at Oregon State University.

1.
See
Dick
run. See
Jane run. See
Spot run. Run, Spot, run!

2.
See
Dick's
paint run.
See Jane's eggs
run. See Spot's eyes run.

3.
See
Dick
make a
beer run. See
Jane's pantyhose run.
See Spot suffering from the runs.

4.
See
Dick
running
around on
Jane. See Jane's tears run.
See Spot pondering running off.

5.
See
dope-
head Dick
make a drug
run. See junkie Jane's
red nose run. See Spot, who can't stand
their chemical stink, howl along to "Nowhere to Run."

6.
See
dumb-
ass Dick
on a gun
run. See strung-out Jane
stagger into the street & get
run over. See sketched-out Spot run away. Run, Spot, run!