In the age of “baby, baby, baby,” when our airwaves ooze the saccharine uselessness of cliched love songs and the machismo vulgarity of mainstream hip hop and modern rock and roll, it is easy to give up on music writing as a form of art. But a frank look at history proves two things: (1) … [Read more…]
VASES OF PEONIES By Judith Skillman We bring them in heavy from the garden, we carry their weight in our arms as if their pinks were flesh. An atmosphere is created inside the house exclusively of scent— bridal, nuptial, called to order. Their ruffled crinolines last for a day and they become tow-headed girls rallying … [Read more…]
THE BURNING by David Salner I had been stacking forty-pound ingots in the heat, working to the point of exhaustion. I walked to the open furnace, attracted by the way it shone in the darkness, fascinated by the peaceful appearance of the liquid, so ordinary, like a pool of water. This was my first shift … [Read more…]
NEWS PEOPLE by Joanne M. Clarkson Skin made of newspaper: black on white with patches of war, murder, weather and empty crossword boxes. They stand face forward with legs spread, verbs for eyes, seeing the doing, and curved dark tears. The Daily. But oh to be the Sunday Comics. Bent at the waist, they ride the … [Read more…]
“… Some are hopeful and some are tragic. These characters act as a way to share a deep truth about myself, in hopes of helping people see a truth in them.”