Linda Schifino

I am a writer living in Pittsburgh. I hold an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Carlow University where I am also professor emerita of Communication. I’ve had essays published in Adelaide Magazine, Avalon Literary Journal, Brevity Blog, DoveTales Literary Journal, Northern Appalachia Review, and elsewhere.

In the Fourth Quarter

I was sitting at my kitchen counter munching on leftover pizza when my phone pinged with a text. A dear friend was offering condolences on the death of another friend. My pizza dropped from my hand, and my breath caught in my chest. I had been away recently, distracted for a few weeks with travel plans, exhausted after returning home. Just the day before I thought about emailing my friend but didn’t get around to it. Now, she’s gone.