Judith Sanders: Late to Meet You at the Indian Restaurant
So I drove, and listened to the news, about
the demise of democracy and collapse of civilization
head-beams probing the dark like outstretched hands.
Leslie McGrath: The Death of Dogs
In the middle of the night when he thinks
I’m asleep, Bill will weep without sound
shaking the bed like a curse at God
Thom Hartman: How America Broke Up With The Democratic Party
Many grassroots Democrats separated from their party in the 1990s, and the 2020 election may be the last chance to save the marriage.
John Samuel Tieman: Marriage
that moment when you know
you did this one thing right
Jocelyn Elise Crowley: Baby boomers are divorcing for surprisingly old-fashioned reasons
At first, Kathy, 53 years old, spoke to me calmly, but as the minutes ticked away, her voice started to crack. Her husband had a long-standing problem with alcohol. The … Continue reading
Yahya Frederickson: Hussam’s Heart
al-Wa’r, Syria . My flat smells stale, so I go ask Hussam, the young neighborhood grocer, if he sells incense, a shard to crumble over my censer’s coals. He raises … Continue reading
Judith A. Brice: Berries, Bittersweet
Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things… “Kindness” — Naomi Shihab Nye . After they’d split my brain, mended the artery that burst asunder and left … Continue reading
Judith A. Brice: To Charlie, Beyond the Mist
Will the mist have vanished from the lake by the time you read this? — birthday note to Charlie from a good friend What she couldn’t know was your eyes … Continue reading
Alexis Rhone Fancher: Divorce Court Barbie™ (Ken™ Drives Away With All of My Things)
I was no Fairytale Bride™ but I came with a Barbie Daybed,™ A Bath Fun Playset,™ and a large, pink Desire Barbie Dildo Vibrator™ for when Ken™ forgot to come … Continue reading
Stephen Dobyns: Stars
The man took the wrong fork in the road. It was out in the country. They saw no signs. It was getting dark. They began to blame each other. Should … Continue reading
Video: Head Over Heels
It’s not often that a student film gets nominated for an Oscar, but such was the case with Head Over Heels, the graduate film of animator Timothy Reckart that went … Continue reading
Adrian Blevins: Portrait of my X
I met him nearly twenty years ago in an early morning college yard and in all this time he has changed very little. Nothing about being alive exasperates me more … Continue reading
Jose Padua: A Slightly Hard-Boiled History of my Life as it Moves Slowly away from Cities
It was the summer of 1996. I’d just gotten the money from my discrimination settlement, so Heather and I celebrated by meeting in the great city of Chicago when her … Continue reading
