By John F. Zurn When I was a young boy, one of my most troubling problems proved to be sensitivity. This difficulty handling emotions often embarrassed me because it made me appear immature. Any type of scolding would trigger tears, but so could hurt feelings, or mourning the death of a pet. Whether at school … Continue reading The Stranger at Our Doorstep
On the Threshold
By Ruby Pressman We’re allowed to make mistakes, I thought to myself, as I looked in the mirror at Banana Republic that day. I gazed at my face. It looked tired and grave, and there was a line above my lip from worrying too much. I was going to meet Chris, a guy I had … Continue reading On the Threshold
The Ambulance Chasers
By Kevin Hibshman Story 3: Lighting Strikes! Summer was prime time for my sister, our friend Brenda and I. We were the ambulance chasers, running after the sirens and flashing lights. When the town fire siren began booming, we'd run to the end of our street where we could watch the emergency equipment roll out. … Continue reading The Ambulance Chasers
My Three Pandemics
By Janet Yoder 1. The Asian Flu, H2N2 When I was five, I learned the words Asian Flu. On July 19, 1957, my mother gave birth to her fourth child, my youngest sister. While she was still in the hospital, my mother was visited by a woman who, along with her husband, were trying to … Continue reading My Three Pandemics
Toads on Lily Pads
By Mehreen Ahmed There used to be a green pond once next to our house. This house had a red-tiled roof and a great many picture windows. It was situated on a hill known as the Dev Pahar in Chittagong. Through those picture windows, I could see the pond down by the valley. The pond … Continue reading Toads on Lily Pads
Superman Loses His Powers
By Dan French He was larger than life. Rippling biceps, which he flexed in front of us. He seemed able to lift anything, solve any task, fix any machine, take care of everything that came his way. He had it all, or seemed to. He delighted in pouring red blood from the dinner platter of … Continue reading Superman Loses His Powers
Why I Write
By Alex Andy Phuong Why do people write? What is the point of worrying about events, places, and characters created through the human imagination? They are not even real! Some people major in English while in college because they are bookworms. Sometimes they could be very similar to Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and … Continue reading Why I Write
No Longer Hungry and Other Flash Non-Fiction
By Jeffrey Zable NO LONGER HUNGRY I walk into this sandwich place I’ve been to once before and notice immediately that all the tables are taken except one near the back. So I quickly walk to the counter to order a sandwich so that I can get that table before anyone else. I order my … Continue reading No Longer Hungry and Other Flash Non-Fiction
Pratt Street, Baltimore: A Nonfiction Story
By George Keyes There are several famous courses and stores along Pratt Street that seems to carry a common railroad myth to the Western Hemisphere. There is the link to the historical traffic at the Mount Clare Station near of Pratt and Poppleton Streets that was the first full-fledged railroad depot in the entire country … Continue reading Pratt Street, Baltimore: A Nonfiction Story
Contrasts, Opposites, and the Need to be Different
By Alex Andy Phuong A prevalent theme in literature and poetry is the idea of opposites. Famous examples include Marianne and Elinor Dashwood in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, and various character foils in novels like Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations. Because it is such an effective technique, contrasting ideas have the ability to reveal universal … Continue reading Contrasts, Opposites, and the Need to be Different
