Email Author Mark Donald

2001 Stories by Mark Donald

• Christmas Cash Cow

  published December 20, 2001

  'Tis the season to roll out the proverbial cash cows of Christmas--those obligatory feel-good productions, given a tragic twist perhaps or a comic... More >>

• War and Peace

  published December 13, 2001

  You've come home from work--late as usual. Dinner is done; your wife is frustrated; the kids are out of control. It's time to get them to bed, but... More >>

• Tortured Souls

  published December 6, 2001

  Two women stand warily by a chain-link fence in old East Dallas, peering over their past, searching their fragile memories for landmarks of the... More >>

• Fractured Fairy Tale

  published November 22, 2001

  Even the most hardened of humbuggers among us has trouble grumbling at full-Grinch when confronted each holiday TV season with the holy trinity of... More >>

• Problem Grandchild

  published November 8, 2001

  Nick Cristano has a problem, and I'm having trouble figuring out why. As the central character in Theatre Three's box office hit,... More >>

• Stop the Press

  published November 1, 2001

  It's hard to cop to this, but here goes: As the lights rise over the masterfully crafted set of The Front Page at the... More >>

• Wheel of Justice

  published October 18, 2001

  Come January 1, one of the perks of being a state criminal judge may be legislated out of existence. No longer would judges have the... More >>

• Life in Pictures

  published October 18, 2001

  It's 1999, the end of history as we know it, with the Cold War over and the Western World infatuated with its own narcissistic reflection as... More >>

• Deadbeating the System

  published October 11, 2001

  So what if he had been served with papers, ordered to appear in court or risk getting thrown in jail. No way Kim Sullivan was getting her... More >>

• Golden Goose

  published October 11, 2001

  There are two fundamental rules that must remain inviolate for my 4-year-old, Max, to enjoy children's theater. First, never allow... More >>

• We Never Close

  published August 30, 2001

  It had all the makings of a trend. The new global economy--the one driven by the Internet, e-commerce and multinational corporations, the one... More >>

• The Lazarus Effect

  published August 30, 2001

  They came because they were curious, because they were committed. They came because they were fed up. On August 15, more than 30 lawyers,... More >>

• Rich Man, Poor Man

  published August 2, 2001

  As Tom Stanley lay dying, his heart worn down by time, Lillian Stanley searched for ways to console her husband. Each day he spent at Presbyterian... More >>

• Beg Pardon

  published August 2, 2001

  "Little Rose" has a butter-melting smile, cascading cornrows and huge brown eyes. An adorable 5-year-old, she's the kind of cute you can't... More >>

• A Dog's Life

  published June 21, 2001

  It wasn't as though she asked for much: a warm bed, a full belly, a squeaky chew toy. Of course, she had needs. What dog didn't? But Missy the... More >>

• Pass the Plate

  published June 14, 2001

  Last November, inmate Erik Indian stood before the latest group of candidates to enter the InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI), the... More >>

• Fat Like Me

  published May 31, 2001

  It's hard not to notice the cheesy advertisement: a full page in The Dallas Morning News, screaming tabloid headlines, before and after... More >>

• Access Denied

  published May 10, 2001

  It was all he could do to keep from going crazy, a little nuts, when he thought about how much he missed his kids. He claims he never anticipated... More >>

• On Her Case

  published April 12, 2001

  She stood by the bailiff, arms folded, nostrils in full flair, obviously incensed that she essentially had been arrested and forced to appear... More >>

• Joint Effort

  published March 22, 2001

  The winds are changing, and George McMahon can feel it in his bones. His ashen face takes on a pained expression as he peers out the window of his... More >>

• For Love of The Game

  published February 8, 2001

  It happens every spring or thereabouts: The rookies can't wait to get started, to prove themselves worthy of a shot in the bigs. For aging... More >>

• The Cable Gal

  published February 8, 2001

  Ashleigh Banfield stands demurely in front of a police barricade in Washington, D.C., scratching her face as a TV camera captures the moment live.... More >>

• Hello, My Name is Pervert

  published January 11, 2001

  One after another, they drift into the cramped Dallas offices of counselor Phil Taylor--a half dozen of America's Most Unwanted, registered sex... More >>