She stared up at the darkened ceiling and said, I’d prefer it if you’d fought in a war or something like that. You might seem romantic and sad to me then. … more
Category Archives: FICTION
Thrift Store
FICTION by Anthony KorandaHis skin was tanned like old leather, a childish tattoo of No Fear scrawled across his throat, dancing as his gums flapped. I wondered if they hurt. His gums bouncing back and forth against each other. I closed my eyes while he spoke about drinking malt liquor and riding trains in his younger days. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t picture him with teeth.… more
The Retired Fireman’s Helmet
FICTION by Ellen SantasieroThe retired fireman doesn’t know the helmet smokes. It was easy to hide when they were working, because well, what fireman’s helmet doesn’t smell like smoke? The cat knows though, the ball buster.… more
Idabel Blues
FICTION by Shaun JexIt was a simple job. Just an evening of work and Kenny Stone would be on his way. But nobody gets out of Idabel that easy.… more
Missed Connection
FICTION by David NewdorfI have zero experience with this type of thing, but I think you must be good at it. I didn’t see it coming. One second, I was just standing there. The next, I was experiencing intense sensations. Then you were gone. Probably forever. You left me with a confusing mosh pit of emotions. I’ll never be the same.… more
Bonnie McCorkle
FICTION by Kim MagowanHer virginity, such a fetishized thing when I had known her, something proudly and literally brandished had now become how so many others, including myself, had regarded our virginity: cumbersome, something to divest.… more
Casualty of War
FICTION by Garth WolkoffAt the end there, we couldn’t stop talking about Kamikazes. … more
Frilly Miss
FICTION by James HannaJust look at the low-life characters in all those books you’ve published. There’s Tom, a commitment-phobic who sees women as disposable pleasures. There’s Pomeroy, a raunchy oaf with no more finesse than a caveman. And Sam the Poontang man—my god. Just his name says it all.… more
American Girlfriend
FICTION by Christina MarableWe danced on that empty dance floor, and she grinded her luscious hips onto mine and I fell in love–not the cheap tawdry version but the pinnacle of idealization. Love, after all, involved misunderstandings and messy endings, and now, I loved this woman how I wanted to love all women!… more
