This month, we’ve got American women giving birth, silverware, and a hissing First Lady. To submit a first line, email booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

Dead Girl Blues

Lawrence Block

“A man walks into a bar.”


Forks, Knives, and Spoons

Leah DeCesare

“There are three types of guys: forks, knives, and spoons.”


Her Eyes Underwater

Romona Simon

“She hadn’t planned for this, of course.”


Invader

Marjory Kaptanoglu

“Her first sensation was of a man’s arms around her, lifting her out of the sea.”


Naked (in Italy)

M.E. Evans

“From what I could gather from the conversation between my boyfriend and his mother, American women give birth by pausing to squat on a sidewalk somewhere on their way to work.”


The Turning Point

Julia Ash

“The First Lady of the United States occasionally hissed and grunted, but she had never chirped.”