Issue of July 21, 2025

Windows Where There Had Been Walls: a review of <i>Gathering the Pieces of Days</i> by LeeAnn Pickrell by Peter Mladinic — Book review

A review of <i>Gathering the Pieces of Days</i> by LeeAnn Pickrell.

Second Chance by Holly Pfeiffer — Cover story speculative fiction

Holly Pfeiffer will study English and Creative Writing at Middle Tennessee State University. She won the Charlotte Akers Gardner Writing Scholarship for incoming students, and looks forward to giving it the old college try.

Open Wide by Kirk Wareham — Essay horror

Not for the faint of heart...

Dig This by Clive Oseman — Fiction

Clive Oseman is a spoken word artist, comedian and storyteller with a liking for the surreal and absurd, from Birmingham in the UK.

Just a little green by Andrea Tillmanns — Fiction horror

Andrea Tillmanns lives in Germany and works full-time as a university lecturer. She has been writing poetry, short stories and novels in various genres for many years.

Afternoon Monsoon by Lucien R. Starchild — Poem

"The sky doesn’t break—it surrenders..."

Mothering Is a Torrent of Love, Tending and Tolerance by Ndaba Sibanda — Poem

"...our world seeks a love absolute..."

Bolide Fireballs by Sterling Warner — Poem unrhymed

"...morning songs to fill my senses..."

Cartography of Our Geographic Distance by Sriparna Mitra — Poem unrhymed

"...You burn without heat..."

Ma: Your 'Asura' Won?! by Pranab Ghosh — Poem unrhymed

"...Laughing at the top of her voice..."

Sleep by Zhihua Wang — Poem unrhymed

"...they arrive at the morning’s harbor..."

Supremacy of The Wise Soul by Rajendra Ojha (Nayan) — Poem unrhymed

Rajendra Ojha (Nayan) is a poet, social researcher, social worker, philosopher, and EU-certified trainer from Nepal.

Ngongo Chronicle 02 by Ron Singer — Serial fiction

Pierre explains how even as a boy, politics were an issue...