By Ronita Sinha It so happened that Minnie started baking treats for the neighborhood kids. It began the day Dr. Fish gently insisted that Minnie find something to do that gives her joy, a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Sitting in his grey impersonal chamber Minnie’s eyes misted over. Through the haze of … Continue reading The Porch Bench
To Still Exist
By Molly Ketcheson Sometimes she woke up crying. In her dreams, the Blank Year still existed. Or so Annie presumed whenever she was dragged from sleep with heaving sobs but no recollection of why the tears ran down her cheeks. She wasn't sure if she was crying because the memory was devastating or simply … Continue reading To Still Exist
The Edge of the World
By John Page The ocean is eerily calm. The four moons shine in the sky. The purple moon of the traitor is especially bright tonight. I can look for miles in every direction and see only the black of the sea. I’m sure others might feel uncomfortable but for me it’s relaxing, well, normally. The … Continue reading The Edge of the World
Just Desserts
By Dawn DeBraal If only Hannah understood how abrasive she could be when she talked to people. Her mother never told her that she was offensive. Hannah never developed the filter that most of us have. The one we use to refrain from responding negatively toward a person. It seems every time Hannah opened her … Continue reading Just Desserts
Coffee and Rain
By Mehreen Ahmed As a lightning crackled, Claudia drew the curtains apart. She stood before the long French windows of her penthouse apartment and looked down at a wet alley. The cobblestones of the boulevard shone in the falling rain of dismal clouds. It hadn’t rained for days. She yawned and then she stretched. Across … Continue reading Coffee and Rain
Pancakes
By James Bates Auntie Gertie spent more time that summer teaching me how to make pancakes than was probably necessary but I was just a ten year old kid who'd rather have been playing baseball or video games than fooling around in the kitchen learning to cook; that didn't matter to Auntie. She had a … Continue reading Pancakes
Letter Writing
By Jim Bates The week before breaking for the holidays in December Sue Beasley teaches a section on letter writing in her sophomore English class. She always begins this way, "Okay, show of hands. How many of you regularly write letters?" It's a loaded question because it's a rare hand that goes up, especially given … Continue reading Letter Writing
Someone’s MFA Thesis
By Thomas Page Pictured before you is a Sunday Chicken Dinner. There are greens, macaroni & cheese, biscuits, and a pitcher of sweet tea. Around this banquet there sits our characters: the Petersons. There’s Adam who is the father. He sits at the head of the table. He works at the swanky office downtown and … Continue reading Someone’s MFA Thesis
Contest Announcement
Springtime Contest March 01- April 3, 2020 It's time for our next contest! Our editors are looking for a way to say goodbye to Old Man Winter and welcome the upcoming Spring season. We are looking for poems, short stories, and art pieces which celebrate Springtime. They can be from any genre. The requirements: Entries … Continue reading Contest Announcement
Autumn Leaves
By Jim Bates We waited off to the side for our order, all three of us quiet, unused to this. Sure, we'd eaten at McDonald's before but not under circumstances like these - me taking Sammy and Elise out after school because I couldn't take them back to what used to be our home. Lynn … Continue reading Autumn Leaves
Academy of the Heart And Mind 