THE NEXT JUDY GARLAND • by Kenneth Pobo
Mom often said I’d grow up to be the next Judy Garland. I only knew Judy as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. A boy, I didn’t know how I’d transform into Judy. My dad said my mom was nuts,… Continue Reading
LGBTQIA+
FISHERS • by Stephen Kyo Kaczmarek
The dinner parties pour in, sun-kissed faces aglow. They’re loud and happy, many drunk, some high, but all famished. Restaurant staff charge into action like crew to battle stations. Throughout this chaos, I wait. Nearby yacht fleets rest in their… Continue Reading
CLOWN LAKE • by Gerald Warfield
Sharon thumped down the carpeted stairs, each step weighted so that she wouldn’t appear to be sneaking up on Margaret. “No need to tiptoe,” her wife had admonished more than once, but these days Sharon couldn’t tell if Margaret were… Continue Reading
THE IMAGINATIVE TOUCH • by Bruce Costello
Moose’s snoring is quieter than a mass shooting in a shopping mall, but not by much. Tiny shakes him. “For goodness sake, I can’t sleep.” Moose rolls towards Tiny, kisses him on the shoulder and slides a hand down his… Continue Reading
THE DUTIES OF MAN • by Angela Hui
I think I’m supposed to kiss her now. She’s staring intently into my eyes, and I can feel her breathing on me, her bubblegum lip gloss coming too close, too close. I pretend to be fascinated by the water cooler… Continue Reading
A PRELUDE TO SOMETHING BIGGER • by Zack Peercy
“Caroline! CAAAROLINE! Hey, do you–” “Amy? Amy, whoa. Careful! Are you?” “Blasted! Toasted! Roasted! Crunk! Gone! Beyond… gone.” “Jeez, stand still! What did you drink?” “Whatever Mike put into that cup.” “Some brother.” “Some brother! My brother! He sent me… Continue Reading
SEEING THE RIPPLES • by Jason M. Harley
Gold-flecked, hazel eyes locked with Dave’s and he felt like his blood had been replaced with liquid electricity. The man was sitting back in one of the massive, high-backed seats, one leg swung over an armrest. Dave heard the soft,… Continue Reading
FINGERPRINTS • by Jason M. Harley
It was sudden. And that’s what had made it so hard. One moment they were driving down a cozy, country highway and enjoying the quiet companionship that only comes with years. And the next, the car was in the ditch… Continue Reading
LOOKING FOR NANNA • by Gerald Warfield
When I got home from the quarry that night, Nanna had wandered off again. I could see the cottage from a ways down the path. She’d left the door open. It started before Christmas, her forgetting stuff, but she could… Continue Reading
PASTORALE No. 3: THE LONGBOAT BURIAL • by Gerald Warfield
Frieda reached down and grasped another stalk of white yarrow. She broke the stem and, with a sidelong glance at Erik, placed it with the others in the wicker basket. “You don’t have to pretend,” she said. “I know why… Continue Reading