E T R A H During the moon landing I was on earth But ever asked: how subjective is ‘here?’ At what point does famil’rity have birth? In a dark side of the sun place a hearth. Because a home of heart is without peer During the moon landing I was on earth Beg with a Styrofoam cup of such worth: Spacemen in a fishbowl of walls not clear. At what point does famil’rity have birth? For space to be on a premium dearth On a TV screen wide enough for cheer. During the moon landing I was on earth Hands held across a million miles in mirth Static dances for grains of a soiled year At what point does famil’rity have birth? Our empty hands surround a riddling girth A small doubloon of proximity ne’er near During the moon landing I was on earth …
Harlan Guthrie Presents “Malevolent,” An Audio Drama
“Malevolent” is an H.P. Lovecraft-esque thriller audio drama by Harlan Guthrie. Arkham Private Investigator, Arthur Lester wakes up with no memory of who he is, with a strange, eerie voice to guide him through the darkness. Blind, terrified, and confused, his journey begins with a series of mysteries to solve: How is he going to navigate the world without the use of his sight? What was he doing before he lost his memory? And how is he going to stay alive long enough to figure out what happened? Malevolent follows Arkham Investigator Arthur Lester as he unravels the mysterious circumstances that have befallen him. In part 2 Arthur encounters a mysterious girl who sets him on a path to finding her. . .though that path may be a dark and treacherous one. During this final…
Edward Supranowicz — Digital Paintings & Drawings
Artist’s Statement:I do not believe in formal artist statements. Art should speak for itself, and the artist should maintain a respectful distance and silence. I work intuitively and compulsively, probably believing that there are archetypes that are shared among us all, but amenable to being expressed in one’s own individual style. I have been doing digital paintings and drawings for the last 10 or so years. It is a good fit to my personality and nature, being able go forward, then back, then back and forward, and not having to worry about wasted canvas. And digital work allows for sharing work with more than one person rather than just one person “owning” a painting. *** Edward Michael Supranowicz is the grandson of Irish and Russian/Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up on a small farm in Appalachia. He has…
“A Blue Finch”— Short Fiction of Ana Vidosavljevic
Editor’s Note: We are thrilled to present two pieces of flash fiction by one of our members, Ana Vidosavljevic, from Serbia: “A Blue Finch” and “A Yellow Marigold.” A Blue Finch I keep many secrets in the pit of my stomach. My trees and shrubs witnessed many fortunate and unfortunate events that occurred in the depth of my body. And I helped many wretched souls that got lost among my thick tree trunks. On the other hand, I couldn’t help some of them. They were in a hopeless pursuit or running from their own wrongdoings. And their own deserved destiny caught them. One lost soul especially got stuck in my memory. Her name was Hope. Hope was a little blonde girl, not taller than my blueberry shrubs. She came to me breathing heavily, and almost losing breath. She was…
September Edition: “The Break from HOKAIC”
Editorial Note: This is the September edition of our new monthly feature from writing coach and longtime FC Barista Jason Brick. In this column, he’ll bring you news and advice from the writing world. Greetings again! September has been an interesting month in the publishing world. Here’s a selection of the most interesting, informative, or amusing things I found around the internet while researching my weekly newsletter for writers: A piece on the fact-checking crisis in publishing Whether you should offer comp titles in a query letter Case study on why women write under men’s names A solid article on how to market your book Writing advice from GRR Martin Why Gillian Flynn gets her best writing done after midnight If you have any questions or comments about these articles, leave a comment and let’s…
“Love on the Road” — The Poetry of Irving Glassman
Love On The Road We hug and kiss in the fast food parking area From their SUV my family waves farewell to me We are on the same road until they slow to approach their exit For an instant we are side by side Everyone turns in their seats and throws me an extra kiss They look like any other family Except they’re my family # # # Crossing Over My daughter runs, hops, and skips To the curb’s edge For her ritual rite of passage I assure her it’s safe to cross She runs, hops and skips To the opposite curb “I’m a grown up now,” she yells I yelled back, “Don’t grow up yet. You have time.” …
“Counseling” — A Short Story by Yash Seyedbagheri
Go see a counselor, classmates proclaim, when I ask for company. Friendship. “It’ll help,” the ringleader of the pro-counseling legion proclaims. Her name is Betty Brown, she wears huge glasses, and I suspect she has a few fucking issues of her own. “It’ll help you get balance. You’ll find peace in your life, Nick.” Balance? What the fuck? I want a friend. I want a fucking friend. As if counselors can compensate for the vast spaces between me and people, the empty rooms at night, the excessive time spent with Netflix and its soothing red glow. Can counselors make people respond to the emails I send? Are they punishing me for bluntness unmasked? Counselors are just as fucked up, truth be told. They’re people who disguise sorrows beneath diagnoses and cold recommendations. Take this pill. Get more exercise. I’d like a friend. That’s what every email I send…
“Frank Olson” — The Poetry of Charles Rammelkamp
Frank Olson “Webber,” my editor barked when I walked into the office that day just after Thanksgiving, 1953. “I want you to look into this story about the CIA guy who jumped out of the tenth floor window at the Statler, on Seventh Avenue. Why did he do it? Could he have been he pushed?” My beat? CIA, MK-ULTRA, “mind-control” drugs. Brainwashing. I knew about Frank Olson already; worked at Camp Dietrich in Maryland, Special Ops, an aerosol expert, his specialty “airborne distribution of biological germs.” Worked on Operation Sea Spray a couple year earlier, where they released a dust that floated like anthrax, near San Francisco. At Dietrich, he directed experiments that involved gassing and poisoning lab animals. “I’ll look right into it, sir,” already booking a flight and hotel in my mind, thinking,…
“Juno Steel and the Prince of Mars”
Hello, Fictional Cafe Listeners! Penumbra Podcast is back again! Because you all seemed to enjoy it so much last time, we’re bringing you another story of that eccentric man from the future…who also seems stuck in the past. This time: Juno Steel and the Prince of Mars. If everyone is ready, we’re going to follow Juno Steel, a brooding, sharp-witted private eye on Mars, as he tangles with an elusive homme fatale, tracks dangerous artifacts of an ancient alien civilization, and faces his three greatest fears: heights, blood, and relationships. Juno Steel and the Prince of Mars (Pt. 1) http://www.thepenumbrapodcast.com/s1e4-juno-steel-and-the-prince-of-mars-p1 After an explosive murder case gone wrong, Detective Juno Steel is in the market for some slower work. His next client promises something quiet: a routine find-the-cheating-husband job. Well… it should be routine. Should be, being…
“On Waking Up and Strong Desires,” by Kelly Burke
It is Saturday morning. I woke up with a strong desire to get a haircut. On my laptop I look up local salons to read reviews and compare ratings. I find one that looks promising. It has 4.9 stars and a recent client named Beatrice wrote that the stylists are warm and helpful people. Everything on the website is written in a romantic cursive font like a wedding invitation. I book an appointment for noon. I type out my name, email address, and phone number. Before submitting the form, it asks me to select the length of my hair, long or short. There is no option for medium or other. It makes me wince a bit. Then I begin contemplating the most accurate way to describe the length of my hair. I think about how…