Sometimes after all the work, after cutting the cling from the stone and excising the bruises, after measuring the pectin and balancing the tart lemon with a mountain of sugar-- sometimes still something goes bad. The pectin fails or the peaches turn brown, or in the final instance a jar cracks in the boil and … Continue reading “Peach Jam” by Sara Eddy, Fall Poetry Winner 2018
Interview with Tyler Gillespie, Author of “Florida Man: Poems”
“Florida Man stories often go viral for their weirdness such as “Florida Man Arrested for Drunk Dialing 911 When He Wanted Vodka,” but there’s more to him than a punchline, which Tyler Gillespie breaks down through an exploration of his home state’s history, landscape, and his own recovery from substance abuse. In the tradition of … Continue reading Interview with Tyler Gillespie, Author of “Florida Man: Poems”
Confessions of a Spook by Michael Washburn
Let me tell you just how enjoyable the scrutiny of strangers can be. Today I am a hard, bitter man with little use for boyish fantasy. But my younger self craved the adventure, the romance, the thrill that the impressionable associate with the life of an agent in the service of Australia’s government. Having done … Continue reading Confessions of a Spook by Michael Washburn
Non-Fiction Spring 2018 Winner
Tuna Melt with a Side of Grief by L.D. Zane “Twenty-three-ninety-five for the buffet! Are they kidding?” I asked Grace. “That’s what the sign says, Lewis. And that’s the senior price!” she responded with despair. “For a Christmas Day buffet at the West End Family Restaurant?” I turned toward Grace and asked, “Did they say anything … Continue reading Non-Fiction Spring 2018 Winner
2018 Spring Poetry Winner “Study of Grief” by Brook J. Sadler Ph.D
Dr. Sadler is a professor of philosophy, a feminist, a poet, a mother, a vegetarian, a cynic, and a bit of a misfit. She is keen to support literary journals, poetry, and the arts. Her poems have been published in a variety of journals including Atlanta Review, Tampa Review, GW Review, The Cortland Review, The Chariton Review, Calamaro Magazine, Parody Poetry, Mixitini Matrix, McNeese Review, The Boiler Journal, Connotation Press, ROAR, Ms. Magazine, and other places. Dr. Sadler has participated in writers' conferences at Sewanee, Breadloaf, the Vermont College of Fine Arts, the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, and Sarah Lawrence. In September I was a Fellow in poetry at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts.
“Togetherness Is A Fable (We Tell Ourselves In The Hope Of Not Being Alone)” by Frederick Barrows
15° “Ella?” The man’s eyes fluttered. Even in the subdued light, he had striking, golden-hazel irises. “No,” she said. “I am Dr. Shi.” “Ella…” He looked too rangy for the adjustable bed’s standard-sized frame. “I…” He lifted his large hands and stared at them, astonished. “My God…” He shuddered. “You brought me back. You … … Continue reading “Togetherness Is A Fable (We Tell Ourselves In The Hope Of Not Being Alone)” by Frederick Barrows
2018 Winter Poetry Winner “Unexcused Absence” by Claire Scott
UNEXCUSED ABSENCE Monday morning and you are not here. Another “F” joins the parade of “F’s” across Miss Nichols’ notebook. You are off catching pollywogs in the stream behind the school, sneaking into matinees, sitting next to men with bourbon breath. Our hands touched by chance in the dark theater of Audrey Hepburn … Continue reading 2018 Winter Poetry Winner “Unexcused Absence” by Claire Scott
The Slide Zone by Noah Sudarsky
Winner of the Fall 2017 Non-Fiction Contest There’s no cutesy way of saying this: yesterday, just as our daily walk in the hills was nearing its bucolic climax, Hazel murdered a deer. As luck would have it, the bloody harvest happened across the street. What would the neighbors think? I was about to throw her … Continue reading The Slide Zone by Noah Sudarsky
2017 Fall Poetry Winner “Deployed” by David Colodney
Before becoming a writer, David Colodney was a fetus and, prior to that, an embryo. David realized at an early age that he had no athletic ability whatsoever, so he turned his attention to writing about sports instead of playing them, covering everything from high school flag football to major league baseball for The Tampa … Continue reading 2017 Fall Poetry Winner “Deployed” by David Colodney
Spring Fiction Winner: “A Wartime Guide to Confession” by Michael Pesant
A Wartime Guide to Confession “May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified…” The Golden Arrow Prayer Daddy! The girls call in their father like an air strike. Their voices are girly, ear-bleedingly high-pitched, but the word … Continue reading Spring Fiction Winner: “A Wartime Guide to Confession” by Michael Pesant