The camp fire dies down, and so does the conversation. The darkness blacks out the imperfections of the dusty Californian chaparral. Under the Big Tree, four slumped silhouettes sit, dissolving the week’s worries with cold brews. “Woof, woof, woof!” cry chops the stillness, urgency increasing with every bark. “Where’s that dog’s owner?” Maura’s logic becomes … Continue reading November “The Thursdays” Contest: Bronze Winner: “Pets” by Oleg Daugovish
Born to die
By Erni-Szakács Szilárd Life and death are connected. They do not exist alone, only together with the other. Somebody who is born must die. This is the rule of life. But why are we born? And what is life? Life is a gift or a punishment? Why are we born without being asked? What is … Continue reading Born to die
13 Days of Halloween: Flint by William Swanger
I heard something rustle close by, but I was in my invincible teens and so pondered no further whether deer, fox, raccoon or suspicious person was paralleling my course through the cornstalks. Besides, I was on a mission, my hand clutching a bag of flint corn. My friend had brought the corn to our meetup. … Continue reading 13 Days of Halloween: Flint by William Swanger
13 Days of Halloween: Mannequins in the Hobbit Barn by S.G. Benson
When I purchased the old Shepard Place—one hundred sixty acres in northern Nebraska—I felt as if I’d stepped back in time. In 1925, Old Man Shepard ordered a house kit from the Sears & Roebuck catalog. It came by rail, arriving at the depot in town, about twenty-five miles away. Mr. Shepard and his brother … Continue reading 13 Days of Halloween: Mannequins in the Hobbit Barn by S.G. Benson
Census
By JK Miller Birth: I was born with buttocks intact, thank God, in Ann Arbor, the same place my grandfather once, in the amphitheater of the medical school, showing off his speed in delivering a baby by cesarean, sliced the baby's buttocks with his scalpel. Race: What am I? My grandparents on my mother's side … Continue reading Census
My sport
By Reina Kita “Do you miss it?” my friend asks, as we run past the tennis courts at my local middle school. “No, not really”, I answer between breaths. For the past year, it has become my hobby to run to this school and do laps around the track. Running gives me an escape from … Continue reading My sport
It’s Only Temporary
By Chloe Bortnick 20 June 2025 I expected my senior year to be filled with lasts. My last school dances, the last school break, the last day of class, and eventually the last day in my hometown. What no one could have prepared me for was the development of something brand new: a friendship that, … Continue reading It’s Only Temporary
Sun Tzu and Entertainment: Koihime Musō’s Mountain Debacle
By Andrew Nickerson In the annals of military tactics and strategy, there have been many great names who’ve put their philosophies/views on paper for future generations. However, none have had as great an impact or as long-lasting an influence as Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, a 2,000+ year old treatise that’s still … Continue reading Sun Tzu and Entertainment: Koihime Musō’s Mountain Debacle
Weathered Baseballs
By Frank Petrignani During lunch I like to leave the office behind and go walking around the baseball field about a mile down the road. I started doing this at a time in my life where I was so stressed I could barely sit still. Somehow, walking that field and finding baseballs brought me a … Continue reading Weathered Baseballs
August Summer Competition Nonfiction Winner: “The Heron” by C. Jane Swick
“No one should take a sunset for granted,” Mike says as we walk to the beach in our slickers. It’s starting to drizzle as the sun casts a golden glow over lengthening shadows. When we reach the ocean, it is boiling in a vast frothy soup rolling and stumbling upon itself in great white crests. … Continue reading August Summer Competition Nonfiction Winner: “The Heron” by C. Jane Swick
Academy of the Heart And Mind 