Author Archives: maryangelis

About maryangelis

Hello Readers! (= Здравствуйте, Читатели!) The writer lives in the Catholic and Orthodox faiths and the English and Russian languages, working in an archive by day and writing at night. Her walk in the world is normally one human being and one small detail after another. Then she goes home and types about it all until the soup is done.

4/5/15 Behind the Door

Posted on April 5, 2015 by maryangelis

After church, everybody flocked to Father K. Priests at our Priory didn’t vanish in the sacristy after serving Mass. Each one would stand at the main door and wait for every last person who wanted to come shake his hand … Continue reading →

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1/17: Chute-ing Star

Posted on January 13, 2015 by maryangelis

First, take stock. Grab an expired SALE price tag and a golf pencil. Jot down whatever’s running low: cranberries, pomegranates, bananas, green beans, satsumas. Get the handcart. Wrench open the door on the walk-in cooler. In through the clear heavy … Continue reading →

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11/27: The Thief of Charms

Posted on November 22, 2014 by maryangelis

Scene 1. Bank of Foods, they call it. Open every month. First Saturday.  Get the shopping cart and grocery bags. Button your collar! That parking lot gets icy. Windy too. They open up at nine, so we’ll save our spot … Continue reading →

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11/1: Ark Church at the Movies

Posted on October 12, 2014 by maryangelis

The Ark Church film company, “Кинокомпания Ковчег,” is introduced here in the post before this one. A You Tube browse of the Arketeers shows them performing in a long mix of short films and songs. But for these ready-for-eternal-time players, … Continue reading →

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10/5: Ark Film Company (Кинокомпания Ковчег)

Posted on September 27, 2014 by maryangelis

The Ark Film Company of St. Petersburg is known for creating short edifying films and songs for young people. The troupe is sponsored by the congregation at the affiliated Ark Church, which one Sunday years ago found themselves with Deaf … Continue reading →

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4/27: Underfoot

Posted on April 10, 2014 by maryangelis

The Artist was coming to town. Our department was arranging it all: the airport welcome, the red carpet rollout at the college club, the public meet & greet; refreshments, parking, audio-visual aids, seating, all the fanfare. For one festive week … Continue reading →

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3/23: Excerpt from Smoke: You Like Tomato…

Posted on March 23, 2014 by maryangelis

Smoke is the working title of a Leningrad novel I’ve been writing for years, a Cold-War romance about falling in love with not only one person but with his entire culture. It’s a source of endless absorption on evenings and … Continue reading →

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Film: The Irony of Fate, or Have a Nice Bath! (Ирония судьбы, или c легким паром!)

Posted on January 6, 2014 by maryangelis

The literal subtitle is “With a Light Steam!,” the traditional cordial wish to anyone who is heading into a bath house. This wacky New Year’s comedy from the USSR is an ode to accidental romance and to washing up for … Continue reading →

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12/23: Winter Solstice, 1995

Posted on December 24, 2013 by maryangelis

Kyrie and I found a studio to live in, just in time for winter. It took seven months of searching to find a management company who allowed small birds, but at last I signed the lease for one year in … Continue reading →

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12/13: Immaculate

Posted on December 10, 2013 by maryangelis

Just for the record, just so you know who you are dealing with here, when that unexpected detour came along all I wanted was to stay alert and keep moving. After all, we were two women in a neighborhood famous … Continue reading →

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