A COLLECTION OF THE BEST short STORIES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
A COLLECTION OF THE BEST short STORIES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
Whatever shape reality takes is often a reflection of the world around us. Through the art of storytelling, we are able to understand our society, our culture, and ourselves better.
PUR
PUR | illustrations by ana carolina maciel “A third body has been discovered floating in the Escondido river this morning at approximately 5:00AM. There were ligature marks around their wrists, ankles, and neck. The bodies were dumped in areas that are surveillance...
REVISITING LUMBARTON
revisiting lumbarton | illustrations by sidney teles “Compassion is dangerous.” Ben’s electric blue eyes spark and he leans across the red tabletop in the Waffle House booth. “And your religion is compassion. My religion is capitalism.” I cringe and inch toward the...
Bwoot Heel Bwoose
bwoot heel bwoose | illustrations by sidney teles At Shindig!: The Buckner-Ragsdale Annual Bi-Family Reunion, Mona stood watching her son, Bucky, careen through the relatives who dotted the Missouri Desert Picnic Grounds like a prickly heat rash. Why must these things...
SUPER MAN
Once, there was a superhero who didn’t know how to fly. He was on his fourth drink, and his tie hung limply around his collar. His face was in shadow hiding the stubble on his chin. He was slumped back in his chair and swirled his drink. He absentmindedly tapped his...
MISS OTT AND THE BREAKING GIRL
miss ott and the breaking girl | illustrations by diane novario With her uncle Art out of prison, the fifty-year old woman couldn’t concentrate. As usual these days, she dilated upon Miss Ott whom she reckoned to be in her early 70s by now. It was the woman’s...
MARSHMALLOW
marshmallow | illustrations by seth williams If asked to describe Eleanor Thorne in a single word, most of her neighbors and fellow parishioners would have picked weird or sad or fat. They didn’t know that she cried herself to sleep more often than not. But they did...
ONE TOE IN
The water was already hot. I placed my hand on the shower knob and turned it as far left as it would turn. The skin on my chest and arms became red and white. The pain deepened into an itch. I turned the water off and grabbed a towel. In the foggy mirror I saw the...
THE PATRIOT
the patriot | illustration by diane novario In the sixth grade I was the Tin Man; envision a small boy encased in a cardboard tube wrapped in aluminum foil and sealed with duct tape. The accompanying plastic axe, inverted funnel, watering pot painted a dull metallic...
THE LAKE
the lake | illustrations by diane novario Her mother always believed that open water had a way of healing the soul. Cradling concerns and enveloping reality. Just for a moment. Just until the pain went away. Just until its sweet release healed any remaining wounds....
Good Day, Sir or Madam
good day sir or madam | illustrations by sidney teles “Hey,” said the fly, making its rounds from Point A to Point B to Point C and back to Point A again. “You should die." Arjun wiped some sweat from his forehead as he dialed another number. “Hey,” said the fly...
The Optimist
the optimist | illustrations by sidney teles I miss the crackle of a drawn cigarette. I used to smoke one every morning over coffee and pellegrino; I felt wildly italian. These days, the closest I get to that feeling is sneaking instant coffee into the recreation...
A Man of Class
Arthur threw down The Wall Street Journal onto the tablecloth. After pushing his soft-boiled egg and toast to the center of the table, he tore off the bottom right corner of the paper containing the story that prompted his revulsion. Then he grabbed his cell phone and...
Cultural Commentaries
A genuine REFLECTION OF THE human EXPERIENCE IN TODAY’S WORLD.
“OLD POETRY” IN POST-TRUTH AMERICA
dead poets society | illustrations by seth williams In 1998, Robert Creeley published So There: Poems 1976 – 1983 with a preface full of italicized paragraphs to suggest a variation of voice (Collected Poems, vol. 2, pp. ix-xi). These italicized ruminations between...
NO CHILDREN ALLOWED
no children allowed | illustrations by ana carolina maciel October 5, 2017 was the best day of my life. Better than the day I graduated with my MFA. Better than the day I went skydiving. Better than the day I got my dream job and danced on top of my coffee table. It...
CONFESSION: WHY I TELL YOU TO SMOKE MARIJUANA WHILE I DON’T
“It's definitely worth doing every now and again or hell it's worth it every day if u can afford it and can function fine while high :)” -- Post from Quora correspondent Here’s my confession: I’ve spent more than a decade writing about the wonders of smoking or vaping...
HUNGRY, TIRED AND COLD: MY THREE DAY JUICE FAST
I have always felt most alive when I’m active and pushing my body. I was a competitive gymnast for ten years, and am now an avid backcountry skier, mountain biker and backpacker. Careful to give my body enough fuel for these physical pursuits, I have eaten healthy,...
Whatever shape reality takes is often a reflection of the world around us. Through the art of storytelling, we are able to understand our society, our culture, and ourselves better.
PUR
PUR | illustrations by ana carolina maciel “A third body has been discovered floating in the Escondido river this morning at approximately 5:00AM. There were ligature marks around their wrists, ankles, and neck. The bodies were dumped in areas that are surveillance...
REVISITING LUMBARTON
revisiting lumbarton | illustrations by sidney teles “Compassion is dangerous.” Ben’s electric blue eyes spark and he leans across the red tabletop in the Waffle House booth. “And your religion is compassion. My religion is capitalism.” I cringe and inch toward the...
Bwoot Heel Bwoose
bwoot heel bwoose | illustrations by sidney teles At Shindig!: The Buckner-Ragsdale Annual Bi-Family Reunion, Mona stood watching her son, Bucky, careen through the relatives who dotted the Missouri Desert Picnic Grounds like a prickly heat rash. Why must these things...
SUPER MAN
Once, there was a superhero who didn’t know how to fly. He was on his fourth drink, and his tie hung limply around his collar. His face was in shadow hiding the stubble on his chin. He was slumped back in his chair and swirled his drink. He absentmindedly tapped his...
MISS OTT AND THE BREAKING GIRL
miss ott and the breaking girl | illustrations by diane novario With her uncle Art out of prison, the fifty-year old woman couldn’t concentrate. As usual these days, she dilated upon Miss Ott whom she reckoned to be in her early 70s by now. It was the woman’s...
MARSHMALLOW
marshmallow | illustrations by seth williams If asked to describe Eleanor Thorne in a single word, most of her neighbors and fellow parishioners would have picked weird or sad or fat. They didn’t know that she cried herself to sleep more often than not. But they did...
Cultural Commentaries
A genuine REFLECTION OF THE human EXPERIENCE IN TODAY’S WORLD.
“OLD POETRY” IN POST-TRUTH AMERICA
dead poets society | illustrations by seth williams In 1998, Robert Creeley published So There: Poems 1976 – 1983 with a preface full of italicized paragraphs to suggest a variation of voice (Collected Poems, vol. 2, pp. ix-xi). These italicized ruminations between...
NO CHILDREN ALLOWED
no children allowed | illustrations by ana carolina maciel October 5, 2017 was the best day of my life. Better than the day I graduated with my MFA. Better than the day I went skydiving. Better than the day I got my dream job and danced on top of my coffee table. It...
CONFESSION: WHY I TELL YOU TO SMOKE MARIJUANA WHILE I DON’T
“It's definitely worth doing every now and again or hell it's worth it every day if u can afford it and can function fine while high :)” -- Post from Quora correspondent Here’s my confession: I’ve spent more than a decade writing about the wonders of smoking or vaping...
HUNGRY, TIRED AND COLD: MY THREE DAY JUICE FAST
I have always felt most alive when I’m active and pushing my body. I was a competitive gymnast for ten years, and am now an avid backcountry skier, mountain biker and backpacker. Careful to give my body enough fuel for these physical pursuits, I have eaten healthy,...
