The Ward Flowers by Timo Teräsahjo
The flowers on the oncology ward balcony are dry and wilted.
The Ward Flowers by Timo Teräsahjo
Thrilled to Announce by C.E. McKenna
Love and Milk Duds by Kerry Leddy Malawista
Correction by Wanda Hurren
Thrilled to Announce by C.E. McKenna
There she is: white girl drunk on the dance floor of the Reed student union….
Love and Milk Duds by Kerry Leddy Malawista
Previously, I could find humor almost anywhere, but after Sarah died, laughter came to a halt.
Correction by Wanda Hurren
Everyone said Mrs. Harper was a strapper, but we hadn’t yet witnessed her in action.
CREATIVE NONFICTION
Correction by Wanda Hurren
close-up of a child's hand holding a pencil, taking a test
Everyone said Mrs. Harper was a strapper, but we hadn’t yet witnessed her in action.
Thrilled to Announce by C.E. McKenna
A group of people dancing at a party; intentionally blurry to show motion; string of lights above
There she is: white girl drunk on the dance floor of the Reed student union….
The Prison of Misunderstanding by Candace Lamb
Long shot of a hallway with benches; stark government looking building
We were almost late this morning because I begged Mama to stop at Grandma’s house and get my pageant dress.
Someone got too drunk one morning and drove their truck into the side of my car by Charles Michael Pawluk
road with misty sky at dusk and flashes of light to emulate motion of cars speeding
No, that’s not what happened — what happened was I drove my car into the side of the truck of someone who got too drunk one morning….
The Ward Flowers by Timo Teräsahjo
black and white illustration of flowers
The flowers on the oncology ward balcony are dry and wilted.
Love and Milk Duds by Kerry Leddy Malawista
Audience in a dark room with light emanating from stage
Previously, I could find humor almost anywhere, but after Sarah died, laughter came to a halt.
Commentary from an Eldest Daughter Regarding TSA Approved/Prohibited Items When Traveling by Airplane with a Grieving Father by Sharon Colby
female pulling rolling carry-on through airport with shadow; only her legs showing in upper left frame
Writers of the TSA website list "What Can I Bring?" slip in humor from time to time….
ARTICLES & COLUMNS
WRITING LIFE: 5 Things 20 Years of Yoga Taught Me About Writing (and Life) by Talia Vestri
Talia Vestri
The consistency of practicing yoga — and writing — lets big and small shifts arrive unannounced.
WRITING LIFE: Writing through Trauma to Live as a Working Writer by Moriah Hampton
Moriah Hampton
Sometimes, when I try to relax, traumatic memories resurface, but I have found that …. writing helps me work through the experience…
INTERVIEW: Ignacio M Sanchez Prado, Author of Object Lessons: Taco
Ignacio M Sánchez Prado
A deeply researched guidebook for readers who want to better appreciate this nearly ubiquitous and widely misunderstood food.
INTERVIEW: Shigeko Ito, Author of The Pond Beyond the Forest
Shigeko Ito author
In her debut memoir, Shigeko Ito delves into her Japanese upbringing, marked by obedience and self-sacrifice
REVIEW: At the Corner of Past and Future: A Collection of Life Stories by Pamela Carter Joern
cover of At the Corner of Past and Future: A Collection of Life Stories by Pamela Carter Joern - illustration of small old farm house beneath the title
A beautiful exploration of intersections that exist between the things we understand and the things we never will.
REVIEW: The River’s Daughter by Bridget Crocker
cover of The River’s Daughter by Bridget Crocker top view of a woman rowing a raft in a vast, choppy river
When Bridget discovers rafting, it stirs something deep within her.
REVIEW: Famished: On Food, Sex, and Growing Up as a Good Girl by Anna Rollins
cover of Famished: On Food, Sex, and Growing Up as a Good Girl by Anna Rollins -- illustration of woman in bathsuit, fro back view https://bookshop.org/a/4094/9780802884510
Famished offers a fresh perspective for unpacking the ways that society influences and sublimates the appetites of women.
REVIEW: Cipher: Decoding My Ancestor’s Scandalous Secret Diaries by Jeremy B. Jones
Cipher: Decoding My Ancestor’s Scandalous Secret Diaries by Jeremy B. Jones - illustration of ancient looking writing and lines
Cipher is a book like no other — part history, part-mystery, part-memoir….
REVIEW: Nightbird: A Memoir by Shavaun Scott
cover of nightbird: a memoir by Shavaun Scott; illustration of women in the woods with birch trees in the back and an snowy owl right above her head
Nightbird addresses themes of unresolved childhood trauma, domestic violence, religious indoctrination, and mental illness,
REVIEW: Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats by Courtney Gustafson by Courtney Gustafson
cover of poets square a memoir in 30 cats by courtney gustafson; shows seven diffent cats in watercolors
Through the cats and her own story, Gustafson illustrates how the system fails animals and us.
REVIEW: Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage by Heather Sweeney
cover of Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage by Heather Sweeney - military tags on red cover
Camouflage by Heather Sweeney is an eye-opening primer on the complexities of military life and the indignities of military divorce….
REVIEW: The Sound Atlas: A Guide to Strange Sounds Across Landscapes and Imagination by Michaela Viser and Isaac Yuen
cover of sound atlas: A Guide to Strange Sounds Across Landscapes and Imagination by Michaela Viser and Isaac Yuen - image of sound waves echoing across a world map
The Sound Atlas takes the reader on a sonic odyssey that explores the aural terra incognita of our planet and beyond.
INTERVIEW: Jennifer Case, Author of We Are Animals: On the Nature and Politics of Motherhood
jennifer case author
The book as a whole offered a space for me to untangle what it means to have control or choice….
REVIEW: If You Say So by Michelle Herman
cover of If You Say So by Michelle Herman; cover is divided into blocks almost like comic strip cells with images of birds, ruins, and people
If You Say So offers an insightful reflection on aging, grief, and finding unexpected community later in life.
REVIEW: A Silent Treatment: A Memoir by Jeannie Vanasco
cover of A Silent Treatment: A Memoir by Jeannie Vanasco -- entire background is an off-white envelope popping off page cover
A brave, relatable testament to one daughter’s commitment to stay in relationship with her mother, no matter how difficult….
REVIEW: Walking With Beth: Conversations With My Hundred-Year-Old Friend by Merilyn Simonds
cover of Walking With Beth: Conversations With My Hundred-Year-Old Friend by Merilyn Simonds; hummingbird drinking from flower
Walking with Beth is a testament to the enduring nature of both female and intergenerational friendship.
REVIEW: Giving Up the Ghost: A Daughter’s Memoir by Samantha Rose
cover of Giving Up the Ghost: A Daughter’s Memoir by Samantha Rose - woman standing on a butte looking out to an abstract illustration of what could be the sky or sea
At first, Rose’s grief journey is solitary, but she is buttressed by her younger, can-do sisters….
REVIEW: Bigger: Essays by Ren Cedar Fuller
cover of Bigger: Essays by Ren Cedar Fuller; looking up at a line of trees in the sky, styled in orange.
In each of her essays, Fuller peels back layer after layer of her family’s ways.
REVIEW: Getting Dressed in the Dark by Gabriella D’Italia
cover of Getting Dressed in the Dark: An Artist's Way Home by Gabriella D’Italia -- abstract thick painting that emulates a pink sky at the top with gold strokes at the bottom
When Getting Dressed in the Dark opens, we find D’Italia in a period of deep emotional turmoil.
REVIEW: The Loss of a Lifetime, Edited by Lynn L. Shattuck and Alyson Shelton
cover of the loss of a lifetime edited by Lynn L. Shattuck and Alyson Shelton; image of a tree that resembles a painting
The Loss of a Lifetime is not just for "forgotten mourners." It provides a balm for anyone who has lost a loved one.