May 7, 2024

“Complete Stop” by Frank Diamond

Posted by Malik White in Member Writing & Art, Writing

*Image courtesy of Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash* Frequent contributor Frank Diamond honors us again with another one of his amazing pieces. Take a look at “Complete Stop,” where our elderly protagonist is faced with making a very important life decision. Margaret Johnson should know better. She’s driving through Lakelock Manor Borough, after all. Infamous suburban speed trap. But at 10 in the morning? She comes to an intersection, stops (a “rolling stop” the cop would contend), sees nothing in any direction except a parked SUV. Margaret continues on her way, and suddenly the SUV U-turns and tailgates her, headlights flashing the way undercover police cars do. She pulls over. “I am going to meet my husband, officer,” Margaret explains to this kid who’s about as old as her eldest grandchild. “He’s in Grantmyer Groves.” In…

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May 6, 2024

4 Poems by Joe Farina

Posted by Malik White in Writing

*Image courtesy of Amber Kipp on Unsplash* National Poetry Month may be over, but we still have plenty of great poetry to share. Let’s give a warm welcome to Joe Farina as he joins FC’s family with his collection of somber poems. street dreams does a street have a memory, beneath its many coats does it remember every soul, who walked upon it does it long for a return, to cobblestones and carriages or quicken to the thunder of street cars on silver tracks drugged by combustion engines does it remember being fashioned by the din of picks and shovels wielded by strange speaking labourers until it gleamed, new, in overcoats of smooth concrete and asphalt marked with cryptic symbols does this street have my dreams leaking out its cracks does it smile, as i,…

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May 2, 2024

Michael Larrain’s “The Life of a Private Eye”

Posted by Jack B. Rochester in Member Writing & Art, Writing

“You’ve made it,” says the narrator of the Firesign Theater’s “Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him.” “You’ve made it. Welcome to Side Six.” This is Part 6, the last noirvelette about Michael’s nameless private eye. Thanks to all of you who have commented, so enthusiastically, about this series. It makes Michael and your Baristas so happy to know you’ve enjoyed it. And this last one you are sure to enjoy as well, as it takes place in the Hollywood film business. Its resonant irony will have you grinning and you will appreciate the identity mashups. So without a commercial break or a single coming attraction, we pull the curtain back and roll ’em with “The Pontiff & the Wiener-Monger.” The Life of A Private Eye A Noirvelette in Verse By Michael Larrain Part…

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May 1, 2024

The New FC Anthology is Now Published!

Posted by Jack B. Rochester in Member Writing & Art, The Fictional Café Anthology, Writing

The Strong Stuff, Volume 2, presents the best creative work we published from 2018-2020 500 full-color pages of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and art from our members This is one handsome book, and it’s big – 8″ wide by 10″ tall, just a few pages shy of 500 pages of stimulating writing and art. The cover art is an original design by one of our former baristas, Amanda Grafe. Using Amanda’s original painting, Barista Melanie Marston prepared the book’s front and back covers. The interior design and page layout was designed by Sophie Hanks, who has worked with us on several books now. FC Partner Antony Woooten guided it through publishing and printing with Ingram/Spark. The back cover. Each contributor’s color photo and bio appear in the book. This contributor’s poetry, accompanied by their art….

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April 24, 2024

Michael Larrain’s “The Life of a Private Eye”

Posted by Jack B. Rochester in Member Writing & Art, Writing

No, you’re not seeing double. This is Part 5 of the poet’s extraordinary narrative poem about his fictional private eye. Each is told by our one and only gumshoe, each a separate adventure in the streets of Los Angeles, and in each a dame. Of course. If he can figure her out, he can solve the crime. Let’s see how he does in this episode. One more to go next week. The Life of A Private Eye A Noirvelette in Verse By Michael Larrain Part 5: Quadruple Indemnity Original illustrations by Katherine Willmore My doctors had been advising me to get more exercise, so I learned how to put myself into a trance and slipped a couple of useful ideas into my post-hypnotic suggestion-box. The first was to take nightly sleepwalking perambulations. The second tricked…

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April 19, 2024

“Hot Copy” by Hot Copy Radio Theater

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Hot Copy Radio Theater re-creates lost episodes of the 1940s radio show, “HOT COPY” — all adapted from the original scripts! Hot Copy is an American old-time radio mystery drama. It was broadcast on NBC from October 4, 1941, until September 26, 1942, and on NBC-Blue from July 18, 1943, until November 19, 1944. It was also carried on stations in Canada. The program’s two-man characters were Anne Rogers and Sergeant Flannigan. Rogers went beyond her profession of being a syndicated newspaper reporter and columnist to investigate crimes, including murders and wartime espionage activities. Flannigan, a police detective, often found himself perplexed as Rogers solved crimes and patiently explained her interpretation of clues. An article in the October 19, 1944, edition of The Jackson Sun commented about Rogers: “Her search for off-the-record stories brings her in contact with priest and gangster, society matron and panhandler,…

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April 17, 2024

Michael Larrain’s “The Life of a Private Eye”

Posted by Jack B. Rochester in Member Writing & Art

As we continue to celebrate National Poetry Month, Here is Part 4 of Michal Larrain’s epic poem. Parts 5 and 6 will appear here in the next two weeks. Thanks to those who have shared Comments – the author and your editors love to hear what you think! The Life of A Private Eye A Noirvelette in Verse By Michael Larrain Part 4: Zounds! Original illustrations by Katherine Willmore Once there was a man who didn’t flirt with his nurse.Once there was a wife who let her husband slide.Once there was a day when nothing bad happened to anyone,a day that had slipped god’s mind. It might have gone unnoticed,had not the Creator of the Universe hired me to look into it.I figured god could afford it, so I charged twice my usual rates,plus expenses….

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April 16, 2024

Introducing PS Conway, Poetry Writer-in-Residence

Posted by Malik White in Member Writing & Art, Writing

We are excited to announce our third Poet-in-Residence, PS Conway! He is a prolific writer who posts his poems on his website, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). Last year, we invited him to submit his poems to The Fictional Café. We enjoyed them so much; we nominated him for a Pushcart Prize. His poetry collection, Echoes Lost in Stars: Poems by PS Conway, was published in March. It is his first solo publication and hit Amazon No.1 Top New Release three times in its first three weeks of release. He was also kind enough to give us a few poems from his book, which you can read down below. Please join us in wishing PS a successful residency! A Note from PS: I am so humbled to become a member of the talented Fictional Café…

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April 15, 2024

National Poetry Month 2024: 5 Poems by Charles Rammelkamp

Posted by Malik White in Member Writing & Art, Writing

We continue this week in NPM with another frequent contributor, Charles Rammelkamp. This collection of Charles’ poems will take you on a narrative journey through the eyes of an interesting and very notable character. Cab Driver Of all the people to almost run over! Anybody else, I’d have shrugged an apology, been on my way back home to Baltimore. I’d come to the intersection of H Street and Jackson Place, maybe took the corner too sharp, veering in toward the curb, but I didn’t hit him, didn’t even come close to running Coolidge over! But then the secret service guy, a different one from the one who grabbed Cal’s arm, jumped onto my running board, startled the hell out of me. “Who are you?” I demanded. “A secret service agent.” He called over to a street cop, had me arrested, charged me with cutting corners, failing to give the right…

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April 12, 2024

“Throwing Shade” by Eclectic Full Contact Theater

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts

Chicago, 1934 In a city rife with crime and corruption, a hero emerges. The Shade, who rushes in where fools fear to tread…with predictable results. Luckily for Chicago, there’s the Vamp, female crimefighter replete with all the skill and talent the Shade lacks. Can the Shade save Chicago from crime? Can the Vamp save The Shade from himself? Eclectic Full Contact Theatre presents Throwing Shade, the 1930’s radio satire you’ve been dying for. Uploading every Wednesday on all your favorite podcast sites! Throwing Shade—the hero this city….never really asked for… Mayor Crane’s Secretary, Misty LeBlanc, has been abducted. Can the Shade and the Vamp rescue her? The Shade and the Vamp tangle with the Tallys. Can they prevail? Professor Edison Tesla discovers a new fuel source. What could go wrong? The Shade and the Vamp…

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