"Whitey Van Ness" by Bill Frank Robinson is a compelling and heartfelt narrative that captures the essence of human connection and the unexpected paths life can take. Through its memorable characters, evocative settings, and thought-provoking themes, the story offers a rich and satisfying reading experience that resonates long after the last page is turned. |
A captivating tale set in an Irish pub, where community, creativity, and a unique lying competition unite locals. Amid economic hardship, this heartwarming story weaves humor, tradition, and an unexpected twist involving the FBI, celebrating the enduring power of storytelling and community spirit." |
At its core, the story explores themes of redemption, resilience, and the transformative power of art -- whether it be through acting, music, or other creative outlets. Sossity's journey from a place of personal turmoil to one of advocacy and support for Leah signifies a broader commentary on the importance of compassion, community, and the role of art in reflecting and addressing societal issues. |
Colbert masterfully navigates the protagonist's journey through the New York arts scene, from his tentative steps back into acting to his encounters with a diverse array of characters, each contributing to his understanding of himself and his craft. The narrative is rich with references to literary and theatrical legends, grounding the story in a specific cultural milieu while exploring universal themes of creativity, identity, and belonging. |
McMullen's story is a vivid exploration of the human condition, marked by its trials, errors, and the occasional moments of clarity that lead to growth and understanding. Through the lens of humor and the absurd, it captures the essence of life's unpredictable journey, reminding readers that amidst the chaos, there is always potential for change and connection. |
A harrowing tale of betrayal and resilience, this story explores the dark side of human relationships and the quest for justice. Delving into themes of consent, isolation, and societal norms, it challenges readers to reflect on empathy and the complexities of the human condition. |
"I'm a Jellyroll" is a richly layered story that engages with historical realities while offering insights into the human condition. Giordanos narrative is a testament to the power of storytelling to bridge divides, illuminate shared experiences, and foster empathy across the boundaries of time and place. |
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As the poet confronts the fading existence of the rhino, and by extension, the disappearance of the Western Black Rhino from our world, there is a yearning for action, for a transformation from passivity to a more active role in protecting and preserving what is left of the natural world. The desire for the child within to rise up, to fight back against the encroaching threats to nature, encapsulates a universal wish to undo the damage done and to restore balance. |
Recession" thus serves as a compelling commentary on contemporary life, where the pressures of social media can overshadow personal growth and relationships. It is a reminder of the importance of finding oneFs own path, away from the public eye, and the irreplaceable value of quiet moments shared with loved ones. |
Clausen's text delves into themes of existentialism, the routine monotony of daily life, and the human capacity to persist despite a lack of enthusiasm or hope. This reflects a broader human experience where duty and the instinct for survival often override deeper existential concerns. |
Explore the delicate dance of decision-making in "Fleeting Laziness in Birds & Catching Myself Being Selfish" by Nonnie Augustine. A narrative blending nature's simplicity with human emotion, through the lens of doves contemplating a new home amidst hidden dangers. |
Explore the depths of long-term relationship dynamics through Holly Day's 'What There Is To Lose.' The poem delves into the fear of disinterest leading to loss, weaving a narrative of love, insecurities, and the lengths we go to keep connections alive. |
Holly Day's 'The Beast at Your Side' explores the transformation of self in relationships. Through vivid imagery, it contrasts solitudes' freedom with the intimate, identity-shifting power of love, highlighting the complexities and sacrifices of companionship |
Art:
Title: Of the tangible with the abstract, the domestic with the natural, and the intimate with the expansive
The Linnet's Wings House Art
Archie's adventures and misadventures, from his initial quest for a dime to his interactions with various characters in his community, reveal a society where children are forced to mature quickly, facing realities that test their ingenuity and moral compass. |
"Explore Artist at Work" by William Reese Hamilton, a gripping tale of love, art, and transformation. Dive into a complex relationship set against a backdrop of urban decay, where art becomes a metaphor for connection and self-discovery. A narrative rich in emotion and psychological depth. |
"Epic" serves as a meditation on the nature of creativity, the solitude often required for profound thought and work, and the complex relationship between an artist and the society that surrounds them |
"Gemini in Twilight" by Galen R.Faison weaves a poignant narrative that navigates through the realms of family legacy, the resilience born out of struggle, and the indelible marks left by our ancestors |
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"Kindred" invites reflection on how closely tied we are to the whims of fate, the shared vulnerability of all human beings to sudden change, and the profound impact of loss. It is a meditation on the connections between us, sometimes forged in the most tragic of circumstances, and the indelible marks left on the living by those who depart unexpectedly. |
The poem "Fantastically Raw With Hatred" by April Michelle Bratten is a powerful exploration of anger and its cathartic release. Through vivid imagery and intense emotional language, Bratten delves into the complex nature of anger, not merely as an emotion to be feared or suppressed but as a force that can be both destructive and purifying. |
Gemma Meek has crafted a deeply moving and resonant work that invites readers to reflect on themes of visibility, identity, and the longing for change and recognition. Its a powerful reminder of the unseen struggles that many face and the profound impact of family dynamics on individual lives. |
Archie's adventures and misadventures, from his initial quest for a dime to his interactions with various characters in his community, reveal a society where children are forced to mature quickly, facing realities that test their ingenuity and moral compass. |
"Explore Artist at Work" by William Reese Hamilton, a gripping tale of love, art, and transformation. Dive into a complex relationship set against a backdrop of urban decay, where art becomes a metaphor for connection and self-discovery. A narrative rich in emotion and psychological depth. |
"Epic" serves as a meditation on the nature of creativity, the solitude often required for profound thought and work, and the complex relationship between an artist and the society that surrounds them |
"Gemini in Twilight" by Galen R.Faison weaves a poignant narrative that navigates through the realms of family legacy, the resilience born out of struggle, and the indelible marks left by our ancestors |
Explore the delicate dance of decision-making in "Fleeting Laziness in Birds & Catching Myself Being Selfish" by Nonnie Augustine. A narrative blending nature's simplicity with human emotion, through the lens of doves contemplating a new home amidst hidden dangers. |
Explore the depths of long-term relationship dynamics through Holly Day's 'What There Is To Lose.' The poem delves into the fear of disinterest leading to loss, weaving a narrative of love, insecurities, and the lengths we go to keep connections alive. |
Holly Day's 'The Beast at Your Side' explores the transformation of self in relationships. Through vivid imagery, it contrasts solitudes' freedom with the intimate, identity-shifting power of love, highlighting the complexities and sacrifices of companionship |
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Through the Eye of the Beholder: A Call for Diverse Voices on Climate Change |
"Reverance" by Nonnie Augustine is a vivid and evocative piece of writing, rich in imagery and sensory detail. Augustine's language is both lyrical and gritty, painting a vivid picture of the scene and characters. |
Here in Augustines' "Hogheads and Tricks" a person grapples with the passage of time, lost creativity, and a desire to escape or confront the mundane realities of life, possibly looking for new experiences or inspirations to reignite their lost spark. |
Heavisides' work, as exemplified in this piece, showcases a talent for blending the profound with the practical, infusing traditional narratives with modern sensibilities and concerns. |
Art:
From flower to flower, it tirelessly weaves,
A sun, from its heart, among the leaves. The Linnet's Wings House Art
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Oonah V. Joslin's tankas offer our readers a poetic glimpses into love, nature, and life's fleeting moments. Each verse weaves emotions and memories, revealing the beauty in the mundane and the eternal dance of change. Dive into a world where words paint lasting impressions on the heart and mind. |
"Very Warm for March" beautifully intertwines the awakening of the natural world with the awakening of human desires and connections. Blossom's use of imagery and intimate details creates a piece that resonates with the joy of early spring and the timeless nature of love. |
The poem invites readers to reflect on the nature of sibling relationships, the process of mourning, and the search for meaning in the face of mortality. Through its exploration of these themes, "Red Rewind" speaks to the universal experience of grappling with the complexities of love, loss, and the human condition. |
Dark Snow by Linda Shok is a narrative that seems to revel in contrasts: the tangible with the abstract, the domestic with the natural, and the intimate with the expansive. The prose is rich with metaphor and imagery, suggesting a deep undercurrent of emotion and longing beneath the surface of everyday actions. |
Explore the delicate dance of decision-making in "Fleeting Laziness in Birds & Catching Myself Being Selfish" by Nonnie Augustine. A narrative blending nature's simplicity with human emotion, through the lens of doves contemplating a new home amidst hidden dangers. |
Explore the depths of long-term relationship dynamics through Holly Day's 'What There Is To Lose.' The poem delves into the fear of disinterest leading to loss, weaving a narrative of love, insecurities, and the lengths we go to keep connections alive. |
Holly Day's 'The Beast at Your Side' explores the transformation of self in relationships. Through vivid imagery, it contrasts solitudes' freedom with the intimate, identity-shifting power of love, highlighting the complexities and sacrifices of companionship |
"The Table in the Garden" is a testament to the power of nature to inspire, to heal, and to bring people together. It celebrates the simple, yet profound moments of connection that can occur in the midst of natural beauty. |
"Barely Escaped" serves as a reminder of the complexity of life and the unexpected turns it can take, encouraging a reflective stance towards our actions and their consequences. |
The poem serves as a tribute not just to Plath but to all who navigate life with an acute sense of sensitivity. It highlights the beauty and curse of such a disposition--the ability to perceive deeply and intensely |
Higgins crafts a multi-layered narrative in a compact form, utilizing the image of the wasp and the actions surrounding it to delve into complex themes of fear, struggle, and the human condition. |
The Rhinoceros:
In the quiet dawn, its shadow tall and vast,
A gentle giant walks, echoes of the past
The Linnet's Wings House Art
Explore the delicate dance of decision-making in "Fleeting Laziness in Birds & Catching Myself Being Selfish" by Nonnie Augustine. A narrative blending nature's simplicity with human emotion, through the lens of doves contemplating a new home amidst hidden dangers. |
Explore the depths of long-term relationship dynamics through Holly Day's 'What There Is To Lose.' The poem delves into the fear of disinterest leading to loss, weaving a narrative of love, insecurities, and the lengths we go to keep connections alive. |
Holly Day's 'The Beast at Your Side' explores the transformation of self in relationships. Through vivid imagery, it contrasts solitudes' freedom with the intimate, identity-shifting power of love, highlighting the complexities and sacrifices of companionship |
The Wind aBlowing, The Linnet's Wings House Art
A Windy Day
The tide was rolling. Like a metronome the earths' heart pulsed with a comforting presence that underscored the wild chaos that swept through the wind; its pendulum marked the passage of moments that counted out the speed of the waves as their steady cadence sent salty foam flying through the air. A silent tick tock tick tock threaded through the relentless advance and retreat, unfurling might and strength, to fall, break and speed through pools, spuming and casting froth that lit on the sea-gull cries, and as they fished for their supper they cruised, surfed, dived and lifted again with wings like outstretched sails that balanced form as they scanned the sea with flint coloured eyes, a gaze that pinpointed the flashes of silvery scales that gleamed in the deep as they descended with precision, dipping and diving with effortless grace. They were masters of the elements ...
Based on how frequently she saw the stork and heard the bird’s clacking beak, the hare knew she was kilometres ahead of the tortoise. Comforted by this, she stopped to graze at a particularly emerald patch of nettles and dandelions. The run had famished her, but the hare did not want to eat her fill at the banquet. Not in front of the other animals.
“The victor must be genteel," she told herself.
The hare ate. The afternoon sun wallowed in the soft light on her calico coat and in the brilliancy of the tender leaves. The hare thought about how she had arrived at this life juncture. “What am I doing in this race? If I win, I look like a bully. If I lose, I look like a liar and a slowpoke, slower than a tortoise! If only I’d kept my mouth shut…nothing gained, all lost. The tortoise did insult me! But only after I made fun of him."
The hare nibbled on another rumination.
“Will a lion be at the feast? Did the fox invite lions? Or wolves? Great. Win or lose, I still lose. Why go on? Maybe if I’d thought, I could stay here and munch quietly in this lovely spot." She did just that, for a moment.
Knotted Fables by John P. Bourgeois
by Ian Butterworth
We live, my Grandfather and I, in a large grey house, past which the buses rattle late into the night. There is an armchair, matching the dull red curtains, positioned so the old man can look into the street. Medical equipment waits in the dusty shadows cast by the tall lamp. The light is dim. I wipe a damp flannel over his chest; push aside his tiny penis, avoiding his eyes as I do so. His skin is the colour of mushrooms. I fear bruising him, as if my fingers will mark his flesh. The nurse left a plastic sheet to place under him as he bathes, but I cannot treat him as if he is a child.
A sweet biscuit leans, damp in the saucer of his lukewarm tea.
Without the thick lenses of his ridiculous glasses, now folded by his chair, his eyes are yellow and blank. Without his clothes, once impeccably creased, he has faded away. I love him. In my childhood he held me when my father would not. Through my divorce, he refused to judge, though all else knew that the fault was mine. He took me in, when my wife and children left. He taught me to pray, though I was a man.
' ...the Scandinavians used 'butter’ as a term of praise for land...It appears that Muirbech was originally the name for the whole bay and its coastline, and that smjör-vik is an Old-Norse realisation.’
Sheehan, J., Stumann Hansen, S., and -- Corrain, D. 2001. 'A Viking Age maritime haven: a reassessment of the island settlement at Beginish, Co. Kerry
Smerick by Bernadette McCarthy
tortoise on killing a playwright
by Barry Charman
In this dream
I am reincarnated
As the tortoise
Falling from the eagle’s grasp
Who collides with Aeschylus
And knocks him dead
Thoughts of a Tortoise by Barry Charman
A scarecrow in a stovepipe hat fiddled and danced a jig. Discordant notes sharp as star frost. He thumped the earth with twiggy feet and croaked his garbled song. The wind whipped the dirge away through empty skies. No owls blinked time from the skeletal trees, no gulls mewed the chorus whilst skimming barren waves. His bow was smooth, his fiddle unstrung. He whirled and spun--counted time with his jerking limbs
by Clare McCotter
For Eimear Bradley
There are no wild geese circling this basket/
no mountain ranges or quail plumes/
only hues of pussy willow and hazel/
woven into a child’s sun./
Buff and green and silvery blue/
turned slowly like the old worshippings/
now sidewalls rise to rim lined with seed beads./
The Basket Weaver by Clare McCotter
GO ON by Oonah Joslin
So -- let me get this straight," Tickle was saying. “Julianne somersaults off your back onto my shoulders and then we tumble out of sight. Then Benny the mouse chases you once round the ring and exit ringside."
“Stupid mouse!" said Tiny.
“Okay, Tiny. We know. Now, do you want to rehearse?"
The rehearsal was flawless. The ringmaster was very pleased. Pyro sat up on the high-wire pedestal watching the new act and he cheered at the end. Of course only Tickle and Tiny heard this but they always appreciated his enthusiasm.
All went right on the first night until -- out of nowhere a real mouse appeared and ran across Tiny’s path. Julianne and Tickle tumbled out of the way just in time as Tiny turned tail, almost trampling Benny in his mouse suit and headed straight across the centre of the ring for the exit, at full pelt, leaving a very confused Benny, a furious ring master and a delighted audience laughing their heads off.
The Show Must Go On by Oonah Joslin
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Grey
(Translation Mari Fitzpatrick)
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
El toque de queda sonidos el tañido de la muriendo dia;
La manada mugido se muden lento sobre la colina,
El regreso a casa labrador plods su fatigoso camino
Y deja el mundo a la oscuridad y me
Nicholas Ridley
My policy is to acquiesce. This is what’s expected of a woman of my age.
I joined the book group after Jack died hoping for some intellectual stimulation. A forlorn hope as it happens. By no stretch of the imagination can our discussions be described as 'literary’. The choice of titles is 'eclectic’ and see-saws wildly from month to month.