Here we are in the middle of October, lit by colors that no other month exudes. Shadows forget the time and wallow behind us like that rumor we could never quite shake. Yes to pumpkins, gourds, goblins and Stephen King novels while forking up large quantities of pumpkin pie. I have a deep love for this time of year. Everything seems to transport itself into the most beautiful instagram; bathed in a revolution that any other time of year would appear prosaic and sepiatic-bleached.
We have some exceptional fiction this issue! And all in luminescent hues that only have names when buying paint. Here’s a kickass poem written by Kate Braverman. She is a sunset unto herself.
“We bent too long to the summer,
that deranged widow howling
all August through the morphine,
cursing the nurses and daughter
who crossed the country to comb
the old women’s hair at midnight
and hold the discolored claw
of a hand, touching the erratic
pulse with her tongue knowing
forgiveness would be denied.”
Kate Braverman – “FALL RAIN, FALL WIND AND LEAF
Craig M. Workman is our featured writer for this issue. His story “All the Flowers of Tomorrow,” brings a neighborhood together that might never have felt the lack of camaraderie if they weren’t anonymously challenged in this poignant, exquisite tale. And find out more about Craig and what he’s working on in our interview.
Ron Burch blasts us in to our own lives with his three spot-on flash stories, “Some Nights,” “The Shower Keeps Leaking,” and “Young Bodies Heal Quickly.” Unforgettable!
Arielle Bernstein cracks it all open in her story “Chased.” Mesmerizing and embeds itself into our being. “I’m just afraid of falling.”
V.A. Smith knocks it out with three connected flash stories, “Ollie,” “Poor Design,” and “The Ring Bearer.” Captivating and powerful!
Cully Perlman delivers three harrowing stories, “ Stupid, Stupid Hospital,” “A Broken Heart is a Broken Heart,” and “Nurse.” The erratic pulse of a permanent wound.
Sarah Sarai transports us into a world where the unexpected is closer than we imagine in her story, “Keeping Me Warm.” “Reeking of unrepentance and sorrow.”