The boy’s family were gone, taken by the great Sickness. The brothers at the Abbey took him in. They were gentle souls, but they were old and serious men, their days set firm in routine: rising before dawn; prayer; rounds of chores; prayer; more chores; prayers; bed. They spoke oftenContinue Reading

Cats abandoned Peacock Lane generations ago / There have been many attempts to re-introduce cats to the neighborhood & they always agree to leave / The HOA meets every Fifth Friday at a subcommittee chairperson’s house & is expected to be fed & watered with seasonal fruit & watercress sandwichesContinue Reading

“Your library is your paradise”Erasmus Kees* didn’t tell his mother because she worked days cleaning other people’s houses. Plus she’d only make things worse. Her limited English skills – especially when angry – yelling and spitting in half-Dutch, advocating for her son’s welfare, would not have helped matters because itContinue Reading

FADE IN:INT. OFFICE – DAY An empty, open-plan office decorated in modern millennial gray, the logo for Hi-Hai painted on the wall behind the reception desk.TILDA (30s) sits at this desk typing random letters while trying to eavesdrop on JORDYNNE (20s) who is talking animatedly on the phone in theContinue Reading

She was a delight at her school dances but an absolute terror at the salad bar / She cleaned & reupholstered her designer handbags every weekend & spent her husband’s money on shutting down fundraisers for causes she couldn’t understand / Her hair was always out of fashion but framedContinue Reading

Roger Camp is the author of three photography books including the award winning Butterflies in Flight, Thames & Hudson, 2002. His documentary photography has been awarded the prestigious Leica Medal of Excellence. His work has appeared in numerous journals including The New England Review, North American Review and the NewContinue Reading

The Dandies almost ran a clean campaign against the chairwoman of the decoration subcommittee / They handed out red white & blue roses with little life hacks written around the stems like spells / Carry a pinch of salt in your back pocket for good luck & say aloud theContinue Reading

Alexis Blaire Zielke paints, writes and does 1:1 sessions with people, listening and talking about non-duality. She published her first book, The Nothing, on Halloween of 2024. The book is inspired by the antagonist of the Film, The NeverEnding Story, and is illustrated with drawings of endangered animals. The bookContinue Reading

Shove over, Dinah, and get your whiskersout of my tea. There’s not enough creamat this picnic for the two of us and I have dibs on the scones. Or maybe the scones are etherealand multiply, loaf-and-fish-like, and will serveme, you, and visions, too, if that rabbit flickers by, fob a-glinting.Continue Reading