literature
Best corporate culture and workplace literature to better your workplace experience. Journal's favorite stories.
Worthy of His Hire
Mr. Hargreaves nodded thoughtfully and gazed at the ground. He was deep in conversation with Elwood, of Elwood and Sons, LLC, the contractor in charge of a new job. Anyone observing Hargreaves would think he was listening carefully to instructions, but wasn’t sure whether he liked them or not.
By Gigi J Wolf5 years ago in Journal
"YET TO BE WRITTEN"
“YET TO BE WRITTEN” by
By Joe Palumbo5 years ago in Journal
Next
What do you do next? The words replayed in my head after each tool was packed into my bag. I ensure my black notebook with everyone’s tickets is in the side pouch. Who cares what’s next? I have to do this now. Upon placing the final chisel into the bag I noticed the time on my watch. I was late for the expedition. Now, this wasn’t unusual, I was never one for being prompt or sticking to a strict schedule. Yet, this discovery may be worth the extra effort. What do I do next? I grab my things and get to my car. Speeding through traffic I don’t notice anyone else on the roads. I was late, but the world was asleep at this moment. Not for long, I thought, these roads will be backed up on my way home. Maybe, I’ll never go back. What would you do next? Arriving at the airport, I notice the rest of my team unloading their vehicles and they appear to be ready for the ensuing 16 hour flight and the rest they still haven’t received. Some business types pass us by on their way in. We catch up with each other quickly and begin to wheel our bags inside. I pull out the little black notebook with all my notes from previous trips and take out everyone’s tickets. We hustle to our gates to make it in time. Luckily, we arrive at the gates as they are doing a final boarding call. What’s next?
By Thin Diesel5 years ago in Journal
The Secrets of the Black Book
“Hey welcome! I’m glad you could make it! Come in, come in, have a seat! Whew, it’s freezing out there! I can’t believe how much snow has fallen, since we last spoke an hour ago, but I’m glad you made it through this snowstorm, safe and sound. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll take your coat, grab the black book out of the study, and then we can get started. You may have a seat by the fireplace, if you’d like, to warm yourself up! I just put some fresh logs on the fire, so that should last us a few hours. Alright, let me go hang up your coat, grab the book, and I’ll be right back.”
By A World of Expressions5 years ago in Journal
A Rich Man's Confession
Dear Random Person I Shall Most Likely Never Meet but Nonetheless Have Eternally Affected, You're probably wondering what the hell this little black journal is all about, and, more importantly, where the hell this $20,000 came from, and, more mysteriously, how you, of all people, came across it. And those are questions I shall answer in due time, but I want to ask you to consider something before you read on further:
By Ben Howard5 years ago in Journal
Pictures at an Exhibition
Karl sits at a red light in driving rain. He's holding a paper cup of black coffee. Late afternoon light is gray and romantic. A perfect time, he thinks, to meet Polly at Barnes & Noble for a browse. What he wants to talk to her about is politics; she's a lefty, like him. In their small, polluted city, progressive thought is as rare as a vegan restaurant. Karl craves his fix with Polly like a cerebral lover. She wears sexy, smart girl glasses and has a slender, sinuous body. Being next to her stopped his heart, once, when the only thing between them was mutual love of books, art, and David Lynch movies (Inland Empire, Wild At Heart). Now that artistic success has become important, she's flailing at the thought of failure. Polly's an explorer, sometimes so locked in thought patterns that she becomes blocked. Then Karl gets a call— “Wanna go browse?”
By Robert Howard5 years ago in Journal
Quiet As Kept
'What am I going to tell him?' I kept thinking to myself, the very fact that this money was mine and he had not the clue? Sinking into my seat at work, my desk seemed like it was closing in on me. The walls were nonexistent, I mean really, I had a cubicle for walls and even those seemed to be wrapping their way around my neck. That's exactly what he was going to do if I didn't come up with a way to circumvent a conversation with him...telling him I didn't win the money or that he had nothing to do with it. Yea, that's what I'll do, tell him the call was placed by accident - random, like a butt dial.
By J.S. Danielle5 years ago in Journal
How three amazing writers made me who I am
I want to tell you a story about how other great writers’ words made me the person I’m today. I wouldn’t be the writer I’m if it wasn’t for three famous Danish authors: Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), and Karen Blixen (1885-1862), are my coaches, my inspirators, my partners in crime and my all-time role models.
By Lone Brinkmann5 years ago in Journal
Don't Forget Your Hyperbolic Paraboloid Snacks While You Read
Your average, unsullied Pringle is a hyperbolic paraboloid; its equation is (x²)/(a²) — (y²)/(b²) = z/c. Here’s where things get interesting, though (as if hyperbolic paraboloids weren’t interesting enough). Proctor & Gamble doesn’t just shove a bunch of Pringles in a can and call it a day. Rather, they use supercomputers to keep conditions just right to make sure the chips make it from their factory to your house unmolested. ~Source
By Lynda Coker5 years ago in Journal
The Story of Belle Reeve Book Company
Sierra Kondos leaned into the mirror and blew a red kiss at her reflection for good luck before she wiped her Fenty-red lip off and replaced half her face with a mask. She tucked the straps behind her ears before adding her specs to weigh down her ears as well. She hid the growing pain under her carefully dark-brown curled-hair and gave herself one last long-look in the mirror, her dark eyes scanning over her denim long-sleeve, Levis and Red cowboy boots, before heading back into her room to gather her weapons. She had to wear something red. It was her power color and she needed to feel confident and powerful for what she was about to do.
By Sierra Kondos5 years ago in Journal
