Featured Works: Week of Dec. 15 (Pop Culture)
For better or worse, pop culture and the movies are big news this week,as our contributors take a closer look at our relationship with the things we read and watch. In Jonathan Lowe’s witty “The Secret History of Walter Mitty,” he takes us on a stream-of-consciousness pop cultural journey. A.J. Huffman’s “The Road to Anvil Road” waxes philosophical about Wile E. Coyote of the Warner Brothers Roadrunner cartoons. Jack Vian’s “The Spandex Spider” shows us the drab reality behind a super-hero’s masked life. In Jack Vian’s...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of Dec. 8 (Parents)
Whether you are a parent, have living parents or are remembering parents who have passed on, the winter holiday season tends to highlight those relationships in our minds, for better or worse. In the short story “When Ann Calls” by Nancy Christie, an aging mother longs for a stronger connection with her pregnant daughter. In the poem “Inheritance” by Amy Barone, a daughter is surrounded by remembrances of her mother. In the short story “Ordinary Riches” by Bill Gaythwaite, a teenager clashes with his parents over...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving)
Best wishes to all of our American readers celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. This week’s offerings tie in with both “Turkey Day” and with the early snow that has blanketed much of the East Coast of the U.S. In the short story “Beggar’s Choice” by Cheril Thomas, a college student finds herself while spending Thanksgiving with a wealthy roomie’s family. In the poem “Plow” by Ed Granger, an unexpected snowfall triggers contemplation and...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of Nov. 17 (Family)
As the Thanksgiving holiday draws near in the United States, a holiday traditionally focusing on family, our contributors show us different facets of family life and love. “Baby,” a poem by Leslie Philibert, pays homage to the very beginning of a family, in the moments before birth. “Sibling Rivalry,” a poem by Ruth Gooley, reflects on the childhood relationship between a brother and sister. “Rachel,” a poem by Sarah Carleton, depicts the overwhelming feelings of bringing home a newborn. “Blue Angel,” a poem by Jan Ball, delves into the nuances of marriage, drawing on images...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of Nov. 3 (Grief)
While I was already planning to put together an issue of works related to mourning, in keeping with All Soul’s Day, a day of prayers for the dead held shortly after Halloween, the theme unexpectedly became even more relevant to me personally. I dedicate this issue to the memory of fellow writer Nathalie Cassiers, known on LiveJournal as agirlnamedluna, whom I met through the online writing contest/lifestyle known as LJ Idol. Nathalie would probably have preferred a gripping tale of black magick and intrigue, but I hope, if she’s reading this from her heavenly laptop, that she...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of Oct. 27 (Halloween)
This week’s featured works harness the spirit of Halloween. “Halloween Hell” by Marguerite Elisofon depicts the challenges of trick-or-treating with special-needs children. “Rootwork” by Katherine L.P. King brews a story of love, desperation and witchcraft. Keith Moul’s photographs, “Arizona Scrub” and “Montana Pine,” evoke the desolation associated with the late-fall...
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