Email Author Quetta Carpenter

2002 Stories by Quetta Carpenter

• Kid Drownings

  published December 26, 2002

  The Greathouse family met Father Carl Carlozzi on the evening of April 24. It was the night their two toddler sons, Dylan and Steven, drowned in... More >>

• Hello Kitty

  published December 12, 2002

  Ancient Egyptians worshiped the cat. Cats have never forgotten this. But most cat owners are okay with feline servitude. If you're the type who... More >>

• Nothin' but a Hound Dog

  published December 5, 2002

  Nothin' but a Hound DogThe Spike was only 4 when the King of Rock 'n' Roll died on his toilet. But... More >>

• To Spite the Face

  published December 5, 2002

  Under the surface of Mars lies an ancient, nuclear-powered city left by Martian citizens. At least, that's what a group of space researchers... More >>

• Coffee, Tea or Mead?

  published November 28, 2002

  On a weekend trip to Walgreens, The Spike noticed scads of tinsel decorations littering the aisles, and candy overflowing corpulent wire bins... More >>

• Ganging Up

  published November 21, 2002

  A thumb-size nuclear reactor, four Confederate soldiers throwing rocks, and a Trojan watermelon to impress the ladies. If any of this makes sense,... More >>

• The Emerald Monstrocity

  published November 7, 2002

  The Emerald MonstrocityThe first thing The Spike noticed upon sitting down at a corner table in... More >>

• The Devil and Alice Cooper

  published October 31, 2002

  The Spike's family holds a fierce belief that everything from holidays to horoscopes is the work of Satan, so The Spike had "Egg and Bunny Day"... More >>

• Gun Nut

  published October 3, 2002

  Early in childhood, The Spike spoiled its frilly pink Easter dress by firing a double-barreled shotgun at a watermelon. The dress and The Spike... More >>

• Captured by Robots

  published September 12, 2002

  When computer geeks grow up, make millions, and have too much time on their hands, fully remote-controlled robots are born. And of course, when... More >>

• Mud in Your Eye

  published July 25, 2002

  Arizona has mud that even Shout can't Shout out: 26 years ago, Shout laundry stain remover ran a promotion called "Shout It Out," in which kids... More >>

• All Work and New Plays

  published July 18, 2002

  People in New York and Los Angeles are used to getting the first look at a new play — they open almost daily. But here, where people are... More >>

• Favorite Things

  published July 11, 2002

  Are you a lonely goatherd? Love brown paper packages tied up with string? Ever looked at a pair of chintz curtains and marveled at the dressmaking... More >>

• Fire Power

  published June 27, 2002

  What's 40 feet tall, weighs 58,000 pounds, has a jaw-crushing force of 20,000 pounds and consumes dead, fossilized dinosaurs? Well, besides Stone... More >>

• Dive-In Movies

  published June 20, 2002

  Remember going to the drive-in? Double features playing into the wee hours of the morning through a tinny window speaker, the picture slightly... More >>

• Father Knows West

  published June 13, 2002

  When warehouse manager Patrick Kellum got married, he did so dressed as "Wild Bill" Hickok, with his wife Chris done up as Sally Jensen. When a... More >>

• Nude Scene

  published June 6, 2002

  When English playwright Harold Pinter wrote his dark comedy Hothouse in the winter of 1958, he shelved it as a "fantasy." But in... More >>