This month we reminisce about those times – some long ago, some close in our minds – that make us smile. May takes me back to my sister’s birthday and family get togethers. It takes me back to three generations of moms on Mothers Day – my grandmother, my mom and my sister. I don’t think I’ll ever buy so many flowers and Hallmark cards as I did then.
We also look ahead at what’s to come. May is the month of college graduations and the beginning of a young person’s foray into “the real world.” As a former college employee, I loved seeing their bright, wide-eyed faces as they began their next stage of life.
It also marks that turning point when the last breath of winter is extinguished and spring fully envelops us with flowers and foliage. We welcome you to tell us how you remember the past and celebrate the future with us this month.
And with that, here’s our future at the Café.
Our first submission comes to us from the crew over at Wheatmark Publishing. They’ve sent us an excerpt from a thrilling tale that starts on the open seas and ends up in laboratories and beyond. Wayne Hammer’s Shifts is a page turner you won’t want to put down!
Next up, we have Bonnie Amesquita’s insightful, hard-hitting, heartfelt Poetry. We’ve got a bundle of her poems for you to read and ponder over a coffee and cruller.
For our art installment this month, we have a special Mother’s Day tribute. Jacqueline Rochester, the late mother of our founding barista, Jack, was a painter, designer and writer. We are very excited to bring her work to the Fictional Café in honor of this great holiday.
Lastly, we have our monthly podcast from our resident Podcastmaster, Jack. Here’s what he has to say:
The merry month of May brings with it a merry satire, “How to Succeed in Evil,” a podio-novel by Patrick E. McLean, a prolific writer-podcaster. Patrick is a very funny guy in an ironic sort of way. He’s written and podcast quite an oeuvre on Podiobooks. I love them. This is the first one I listened to, which kept my headphones clamped to my ears for many entertaining hours. It tells the story of one Edwin Windsor, who is an Evil Efficiency Consultant to business. It’s a sendup, not just of business but superheroes, too. It’ll throw you more than a few satirical curves and keep you clicking episodes to find out what will happen next. To help lure you in, and because many of the chapters are pretty short, we’re putting them up four at a time, each Friday of the month starting May 13.
As always, join in the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
— Your Baristas
