Prose, Poetry, and Art since 1956
The Dog days of Summer are here. What does that mean? For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere it means Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky, begins its rise over the eastern horizon. It means we enter the hottest part of the summer. It’s a time associated with drought, fires, fevers, thunderstorms, bad luck, and way too much heat. We propose the…
It is fair to say that author Suzanne Roberts is in love with adventure. She skis no-fall zones, she mountain bikes over rough terrain (sometimes breaking bones in the process), she hikes challenging trails, she travels everywhere she can—and then she writes about these adventures in her books and essays. Roberts has the confidence that a woman and writer with her skills and talents needs,…
In August, auditions for the Fall Pageant begin. Della sings beautifully, as everyone knew she would, but Amelia, Thomas, and Sarah are given the parts of the sweet fox family. A gaggle of boys are handed a set of pitchforks dulled at their points for their roles as farmers. Other Sarah is given the role of Rabbit, and Georgia, the Hare. A few girls are…
When communing with Lauren Davis’s debut poetry collection, two words primarily come to mind: “embodiment” and “intimacy.” While these are common enough terms to describe the experience of reading a good poem, the stakes are much higher in Home Beneath the Church. In this slim collection of forty-nine poems, Davis takes us on a wide-ranging journey within the realms of her marriage and the natural…
fill the void by repeating phrases. repeating phrases to make it so. repeating phrases to get it right. tonight would be a perfect night to be the boston strangler. tonight would be a perfect night to cauterize the moon. when the stars are mist. when the epilogue is mine. when scaffolding fits like letters. when letters silt on the river’s clavicle. how bone bends in…