August 1, 2016

It’s a Summer Romance – August Submissions

It’s a Summer Romance – August Submissions

Something about the hot weather makes people come together. Maybe it’s all the time outdoors or the shedding of all those winter layers. From summer camp crushes to the “long walks on the beach” everyone claims they enjoy, summertime is a season of love. The Rolling Stones knew a thing or two about a “Summer Romance.” So do our members in this month’s issue. Here’s our “summer reading list.” Don’t worry, you won’t be quizzed on it the first week of school. Timothy Boudreau’s short story about unrequited love in mid-life hits hard at just how cruel the heart and its desires can be. If love is a language, perhaps not everyone can speak it. This month’s poetry comes from Chrysa Keenon, a Writing undergraduate student in Indiana. Her poems look at love as if…

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July 24, 2016

The Call of the Whale

The Call of the Whale

It all started with a little getaway in March. My girlfriend and I had booked a cruise and, in anticipation, I was gathering books to bring along. Those of you who are book nerds can attest to the anxiety of trying to pick out just a few books to take in your luggage. I was weighing my options, no pun intended, when I came across Moby Dick, that hefty tome of classic American literature which had eluded my syllabi in both high school and college. Now as an “adult,” I thought it was time to give it a read. When I told my girlfriend of my choice, she sort of looked at me sideways, then said that’s a bold choice for a vacation read, especially one where we will be spending a week at sea….

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July 22, 2016

And the Winner is…

And the Winner is…

We’re excited to announce the winner of our Logo Design Contest! Congratulations to Dan Chu for submitting the winning design!! It captures the “round-the-clock access “of our virtual café while giving a nod to the effects of drinking coffee all day and all night. This is a big 3-inch in diameter adhesive sticker on circular vinyl, suitable for affixing to your car window, your bumper, your water bottle, your laptop or a porta-potty… you know, the usual sticker places. If you’re low on ideas and want to buck tradition, here are a few other worthy candidates: your Keurig (because, obviously.), your phone/tablet case (because let’s face it, who uses computers anymore?), your self-balancing scooter (because who drives cars anymore?), your coffee mug (because what’s better than an ad for an imaginary café on a real-life…

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July 15, 2016

Science Fiction Podcast Month!

Science Fiction Podcast Month!

Tonight we begin the July podcasts and an all-science fiction series. We have a special treat for you: Each is a complete audio presentation so you can listen to the whole thing and won’t have to wait a week for another installment. It’s kind of like, um, going to the movies! So, watch out for monsters and instead watch your email tonight or tomorrow for the first sci-fi podcast from your friends here at the Fictional Café! Cheers, Jack  

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June 29, 2016

Lost or Found? July Submissions

Lost or Found? July Submissions

Searching. We are all looking for something in life. It may be as small as a lost object from our youth or as large as our place in the world. In 1987, U2’s Bono proclaimed that despite searching the world over, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” His single-minded focus to find that which eludes him took him to the ends of the earth. Such is the nature of desire and the power of the human will. But sometimes, in the absence of looking, we discover treasures as well. Earlier this year, I found what I wasn’t looking for and was tracked down by a creature I didn’t realize was following me (stay tuned for details). What do you search for? What drives you to glance under slippery rocks and peer around dark…

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Welcome to the Fictional Café! Your baristas are interested in all genres of short fiction, poetry, excerpts from novels-in-progress, your photographs, art, and audio or video podcasts. We encourage you to share your work for publication in the Fictional Café. Click on the Join/Submit button above to learn more.

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