By Richard Smith Books are inherently human. They capture human struggle, present human ideas, and promote human expression. As there has been division on how to handle differing and problematic facets of humanity, division in handling different and problematic media also exists. People have turned to censorship to solve various issues, and in the case … Continue reading History of Burned Books
A Pandemic Journal, the First Few Weeks
By Bakhtiar Ahmed First published: March 2022 in Kindle Thy Embers Anthology published by Lit-light publishers, Pakistan A Pandemic Journal, the First Few Weeks Bakhtiar Ahmed I woke up with a sinking feeling, a feeling of dread and hopelessness; I had an intense urge to flee but there was nowhere to go. I felt trapped, suffocated, … Continue reading A Pandemic Journal, the First Few Weeks
Who Am I? A Journal of Self Discovery
By Savannah Sisk This essay is a journey of self-discovery contained in a meager two thousand-something words. As you read you will watch me discover, then re-discover the concept of identity. As you read, you will watch me discover my identity. Along the way, you might be influenced to begin your own journey of self-discovery. … Continue reading Who Am I? A Journal of Self Discovery
Brain Silence
By Danielle Evans-Cole Those nagging, spinning, twirling thoughts in your head that weave around in and out of your consciousness. Like an invasive weed sprouting up in your synapses twisting around them. The… Should you be worried about that new knocking sound in your car … leads to the time your boyfriend’s car overheated on … Continue reading Brain Silence
Why Do I Always Have to be on Time? My Obsession with Punctuality
By Phyllis Bordo My stomach does somersaults, and my palms become sweaty. My heart rockets in my chest and my cheeks go cherry red. It’s crazy; I get anxious even if I think I’ll be only a few minutes late. I don’t know why I have this obsession with being punctual. If I have a … Continue reading Why Do I Always Have to be on Time? My Obsession with Punctuality
Letters
By George Michael Brown The year was 1988. My mother had passed away the previous December, my father twenty-seven years before that. I was cleaning out their house, getting it ready to sell; the house I grew up in. I was removing items out of a small room in the basement, hidden behind the furnace, … Continue reading Letters
Ode to My Blue Target Watch
By Hailey Pierce I wear my watches on the inside of my wrist. Counterintuitive and strange, to lift my wrist, the joint cocked palm-away from my face to expose the blue spider veins under pale skin. But I see the time amongst the backdrop of my blood; heartbeats counting just like seconds, the rhythm of … Continue reading Ode to My Blue Target Watch
Going With the Flow
By Clara-Ève Landry Knowing my grip could not fight a force comparable to being hit by 5000 basketballs per second, I take a breath in the pocket of air created by the flat area of the raft and let myself go down the Kennebec River. “Feet up and let yourself be guided by the waves” … Continue reading Going With the Flow
For Mami
By Kaitlyn Byer moth·er noun a woman in relation to her child or children. verb bring up (a child) with care and affection. For Mami: I always loved your light bronze skin with hints of olive. I remembered it being soft as snow, as if the concept of aging simply never applied to you. Your … Continue reading For Mami
Rocky Road
By Ellen NotbohmThe door to the high school principal’s office stood open, so I nipped in to get a quick opinion on my son’s desire for a summer job. He was not yet sixteen, and possibilities didn’t seem to extend beyond fast food, which he didn’t want to do. “You have to hate your first … Continue reading Rocky Road
Academy of the Heart And Mind 