October 26, 2017

Paula Park’s Tree Photography

Paula Park’s Tree Photography

Artist’s Statement: I gravitate toward trees, as I grew up in a forest and I find being surrounded by trees soothing. As you can see from my photos, I don’t photograph with my eye for splendor and colorful foliage. Trees to me touch a darker quieter spot in myself. Rain, fog, and trees go together for me; they speak to the soulful and reflective side of ourselves, a dark wisdom. Please click on the images to see in full screen view. Editor’s Note: The poet Joyce Kilmer wrote, “I think that I shall never see / A poem as lovely as a tree.” Our hearts go out to Paula Park and the people of Sonoma and Napa Counties, California, who have lost so many of their beautiful trees and, all too often, more. Rejoice that the…

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October 22, 2017

“Passage,” A Short Story by Anita Goveas

“Passage,” A Short Story by Anita Goveas

I’m watching Balan hide his second mobile phone in the glovebox of his emerald-green Porsche, the phone he always uses when he has an new girlfriend. I decide not to tell him about the plane ticket. Impulse or resolution, it takes me out of my comfortable flow. At the beginning of the flight, the roar of the engines causes me to yawn and tense the muscles in my neck. These are the warning signs, my habitual prodome. In the middle of the flight, the light on the ocean forms strings of rhinestones and sapphires, like a Turner painting. This could be seen as good luck. At the end of the plane ticket there is Boston’s Logan airport and a red-haired, blue-suited lawyer holding up my old name on cardboard: ‘V. Dutta.’ “Mrs Dutta, ” she…

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October 20, 2017

Podcast: “Steal the Stars” – A Sci-Fi Thriller

Podcast: “Steal the Stars” – A Sci-Fi Thriller

Steal the Stars is the story of Dakota Prentiss and Matt Salem, two government employees guarding the biggest secret in the world: a crashed UFO. Despite being forbidden to fraternize, Dak and Matt fall in love and decide to escape to a better life on the wings of an incredibly dangerous plan: they’re going to steal the alien body they’ve been guarding and sell the secret of its existence. Steal the Stars is a noir science fiction thriller in 14 episodes, available worldwide on all major podcast distributors through the Macmillan Podcast Network. Listen to the first episode here, and subscribe to Steal the Stars at any of the following links:  iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloud | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Please click on the arrow below to listen to Episode 1 of “Steal the Stars.”

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October 17, 2017

The Extraordinary Ordinary: Doing Good for Others With Our Art

The Extraordinary Ordinary: Doing Good for Others With Our Art

Our newest barista, Natalie Rodriguez, is a gifted writer and digital video director-producer with a cause to share. She wants people to become more aware of a great and growing affliction of our youth, and you can help her get that message out into the world. Please join Natalie’s crowdfunding project on Seed and Spark to finance and create The Extraordinary Ordinary The narrative follows the story of three college students navigating their way through the music, writing, and photography scenes. When one of them experiences a panic attack. they begin revisiting their history with mental health. ERICA strives to complete a long overdue photography project from high school but who struggles to find balance and closure from her past due to her ongoing battle with panic attacks. She befriends a classmate, BIANCA, a writer who has…

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October 9, 2017

The 400th!

The 400th!

Last month, we received notice of the 400th member of our Fictional Café Coffee Club. This was a milestone moment for us, so we wanted to share the news and introduce the 400th member to you. Coffee Clubbers, please meet Dianne Patten, who works in the Staples Print Services Center in Burlington, Massachusetts. She’s wearing our Fictional Café hat and holding our brand-new FC coffee mug. Congratulations, Dianne! We’re happy you’ve joined our community and delighted that you’re Our 400th! Like our new mug? Stay tuned to learn how to get one for yourself!  

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October 9, 2017

NEW! Rounds 3 and 4 of the FC Anthology Contest!

NEW! Rounds 3 and 4 of the FC Anthology Contest!

Dear Coffee Clubbers – Sorry to say, but we’ve had some system difficulties over the weekend that kinda messed up posting new rounds. We apologize, and want you to rest assured we’re all over this and getting it fixed so the contest will run smoothly going forward. Here are Rounds 3 and 4 for you to read and vote on. Enjoy! I’m delighted to see how good the writing is in all the entries, and am really looking forward to seeing who wins and will be making an appearance in our first and forthcoming book. I’m sure the writers will appreciate your interest, and your vote! Fictional Cafe Contest Voting Round 4

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