Tag Archives: Memoir

Little Patuxent Review – “The Augury”

“The Augury” was published in the 19th issue of Little Patuxent Review and remains available to purchase. I love the piece – it’s brief and was written in transit, and at the present time it reminds me of adventure and unfamiliarity.

Little Patuxent Review is an amazing magazine out of Maryland. It’s a print publication, and a copy of issue 19 costs $12. You can order the issue or subscribe to Little Patuxent Review here.

About Little Patuxent Review:

Little Patuxent Review (LPR) is a journal of literature and the arts, publishing poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction and artwork. LPR welcomes most US-based contributors and prides itself on supporting both up-and-coming and well-established artists and writers. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

LPR’s mission is to promote the tradition of literary and visual arts through our:

LPR reflects and draws upon the creativity and diversity of the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond by promoting the literary and visual arts in print and throughout the region’s community and educational venues.

Each subscription to LPR supports the arts in your community. You get two amazing issues per year for only $24. Subscribe today!

Water over stone: Little Patuxent River, Spring 2012 (Photo: Lynn Weber)

LPR was named for Little Patuxent River, one of the three major tributaries of the Patuxent River. Like LPR, the river flows over stones — the Algonquin word “patuxent” means “water flowing over smooth stones” — through Howard County, Maryland, gathering strength as it carries content to the Chesapeake Bay and out toward the larger world.

LPR was founded in 2006 by a group of local writers — Mike Clark, Ann Bracken, Ann Barney, Brendan Donegan — to fill the void left when a periodical of the same title, founded by poets Ralph and Margot Treital, closed a quarter century ago.

They envisioned LPR as a forum for area writers and artists. In doing so, LPR not only provides readers with a diverse array of local offerings, but also attracts contributors of national repute.

LPR has featured poetry from Donald Hall, Poet Laureate of the United States and Michael Glaser, Poet Laureate of Maryland. In addition, from Delmore Schwartz Memorial Award winner Stanley Plumly, the late Lucille Clifton, winner of the 2000 National Book Award for Poetry and recipient of the Robert Frost Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Society of America and Joy Harjo, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers’ Circle of the Americas.

There has been fiction from Edith Pearlman, whose collection Binocular Vision: New and Selected Stories won the 2011 National Book Critics Circle Award,  Michael Chabon, whose Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Rafael Alvarez, whose screenwriting contributed to the critically acclaimed television series Homicide: Life in the Streets and The Wire, and Manil Suri, whose The Death of Vishnu became an international bestseller.

There have been myriad early efforts from writers and artists who will look back on Little Patuxent Review as the publication that gave them their start

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Bitchin’ Kitsch – “The Embarcadero”

Read the story online here.

Bitchin' Kitsch - banner 2

The Embarcadero” was published in the May 2014 issue, on page 16 of The Bitchin’ Kitsch. “The Embarcadero” isn’t exactly a break up story (though it’s enough of a break up story that an editor once informed me they prefer not to publish break up stories). Rather, it’s about a missed connection. I think most people have seen love thwarted by circumstances that would otherwise seem peripheral: the timing just wasn’t right. The story is also just a moment, and I will never stop being thrilled by the narrative potential of small and insignificant acts.

Editor Chris Talbot-Heindl bio:

is a queer, trans nonbinary, triracial (white, Japanese, and Indigenous) artist, educomics creator, and nonprofit laborer trying to build spaces ready to celebrate when they turn up authentically.

They have over two decades of experience working with environmental and LGBTIQA2+ nonprofits in every capacity from dedicated database volunteer, event assistant, office manager, volunteer manager, communications director, social media manager, database manager, membership and donation manager, curriculum developer and manual designer, Moodle administrator, branding and marketing creator, graphic designer, web designer, illustrator, and everything in-between. They pride themselves on being a Jesse-of-All-Trades, learning new skills as needed to accomplish what needs doing.

Chris has over four decades of experience living in a white-, cis-, het-, abled-supremacist society and 25 years’ worth of DEI training aimed at helping them navigate this world in their body. As such, they center and advocate for equity at the forefront of everything they do. If you aren’t ready to do the work with inclusion, equity, accessibility, and justice at the forefront, working with Chris won’t be a good fit. You have to be willing, ready, and excited to do this work.

When they aren’t consulting or working their day-job, Chris can be found editing the quarterly art and literature compzine, The Bitchin’ Kitsch, the biyearly themed art and literature compzine, All My Relations, and Community-Centric Fundraising’s Content Hub; making educomics like Chrissplains Nonbinary Advocacy to Cisgender People and Why Must the White Cis Nonprofit Workers Angry React to All My Posts?; working on their serial graphic novel The Story of Them about what it’s like to be nonbinary in a very gender-binar world; and writing essay and short stories exploring identity and belonging.

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Serving House Journal – “Those Lonely, Lonely Nights”

Serving House is defunct, but read the story online here.


“Those Lonely, Lonely Nights,” was published in Issue 9 of Serving House Journal. The story is about a conversation with a methamphetamine addict in a bar in Santa Cruz. If there’s a deep truth to be plucked from this story, it might have something to do with the ways that our hedonism blinds us. It might also be about a man willing to put himself halfway in danger, but never all the way.

The Serving House Journal was an amazing publication that unfortunately stopped publication in 2018. Not only did this publication showcase superb contemporary literature, they had an amazing editorial staff – Duff Brenna, Clare McQueen, and Thomas E. Kennedy to name a few.



Serving House mission statement:

Serving House Journal endeavors to publish works in the literary and visual arts that will surprise, rivet, amuse, charm, enchant — even electrify— our readers.

Our mission is to play an international role in fostering and preserving the best of what the literary arts are capable of doing: writing that may impel others to become writers themselves; writing that will add to and enhance the dialogue of the arts; writing that reaffirms our belief in the inspiring possibilities of the written word.

We celebrate the imaginative voice, the authentic attitude towards the status quo “world of letters.” We like lean-edgy-elegant writing that takes on the stupefying realities of our challenging times, our thorny relationships, the political chicanery that exhausts our patience, the contraries between men, women, children, and friends.

We’re looking for work that strives to eclipse clichés, stereotypes, and mass-market formulas gleaned from what has become more and more a “reality show,” a “sit-com,” a stultifying Wal-Mart of the mind. “Expect poison from standing water,” William Blake once told us. “The cistern contains; the fountain overflows.”

Inscribe the flow of the world as you see it. Send that world to us. We promise you a fair reading.

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Johnny America – “My Love Is Going To My Love”

Read the story on Johnny America’s archives here.

My Love Is Going To My Love ” was published by Johnny America.  The story represents not exactly a sea change, but a slow evolution in my approach to writing – more terse, less plot driven. The piece is about a man travelling to see his lover.

 Johnny America manage to find some of the funniest, most entertaining fiction out there. The fact that I genuinely believe they have a brilliant eye for talent and I wrote a story deemed worthy by their editorial staff.’

Johnny America is a large rabbit who lives in a bungalow on the Moon between two rivers of wine (one red, one white). He is the also namesake of this website of fiction, humor, and other miscellany and of the Johnny America print zine that’s published sporadically by the Moon Rabbit Drinking Club & Benevolence Society (ISSN 1553-9177).

Johnny America spends most of his days lounging against a low crater, fishing rod in paw. Some afternoons he helps plow the cheese fields — to earn extra money for carrots — but usually he’s in the valley cut by the Mercer and Mancini Rivers, idling. The fish on the Moon are constantly drunk and easy to catch. They look almost exactly like bass but taste of marmalade and cinnamon.

Review of Issue #9 by Pioneer Press: 

Sometimes we come across a zine and we’re like, “This. This is why we run a distro.” Johnny America is put together by local Lawrence folks (and fellow Rocket Grant Recipients!) Emily Lawton, Patrick Giroux, and Jonathan Holley and it hit us like a well-stocked ‘fridge dropped from space. Bam. Splat. Since 2003, Lawton, Giroux, and Holley (aka the Moon Rabbit Drinking Club) have been turning the McSweeney’s vibes of their early stuff into a whole new beast that’s all their own. Funny, smart, brave, and not afraid to take big steps into The Weird, Johnny America might be the best literary zine in the country. With a great silkscreened/stitched cover and interior design by Giroux, issue 9 is hot-damn enough to give the Paris Review a run for their money (and we say this as loyal Paris Review subscribers). Seriously, smart people of the world who have a love for short stories, beautiful ideas, and nonbullshitty things: This zine is a keeper like that big fucking rainbow trout your dad’s got on his wall.

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Bound Off – “Climbing”

Bound Off is defunct, but the story can be read here, and listened to here.

bound-off-logo-web


Climbing” was picked up by Bound Off, an audio publication.  The Bound Off editors described the piece: “In Climbing, Ben Leib’s young protagonists wrangle their way through court dates and friendship.” 

Though Bound Off is now defunct, it remains available to listen to online, including on Apple podcasts. I highly recommend investigating past episodes, as Bound Off consistently published incredible work for over seven years.


bound-off-logo-web

 


Bound Off is a monthly magazine of literary short stories, founded in 2006 and based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Our mission is to merge the oral tradition of storytelling with new technology to create a digital audio magazine. Bound Off is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to paying authors for their work. All staff are unpaid volunteers. We aspire to showcase work that is compelling and driven by narrative, with a force that keeps the listener listening. We are dedicated to publishing stories by both the established and emerging writer. In our interview on Duotrope’s Digest (an extensive, searchable database of current fiction and poetry markets), we discuss our decision-making process and you can view our average response rates.

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Black and White Magazine, Red Ochre Press – “Je Vais Bien”

Black and White is defunct, but you can read the story here.


“Je Vais Bien” was published in Black and White – a journal published by Red Ochre Press.

The story is a gem.  It’s about a man who traps himself so deeply in a web of lies that he doesn’t see any escape. It’s a street wandering story, because there are times at which, faced with nothing else to invest one’s time in, the only thing to do is simply go outside and pretend that you have a destination.

Unfortunately Red Ochre Lit has become defunct, and the publication is no longer available for purchase. It was an admirable publication and is missed.


About RED OCHRE PRESS:

“It is a mysterious and complicated business, bringing together muscles and brain, memory and desire, and a rhythm of motions and subconscious impulses…No wonder most good writers approach writing with just a twinge of terror in their bones.”  –Richard Marius

RED OCHRE PRESS exists as a publishing house and a community advocate for all things literary. We publish premier, contemporary literature. This includes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews & essays. While our primary goal is to showcase the work of experienced authors, we feature emerging writers as well. A multicultural organization, we venerate voices from around the world, taking pride in writers whose work is both innovative and captivating.

This press was founded on the belief that reading and writing are becoming dying pastimes. In a world where people choose daily to flip through 1,000 channels instead of pages, writers must perfect their work and present it via widely accessible media venues. First and foremost, however, we, as writers, must lose our fear of rejection and submit polished pieces for publication.

Until next time,
Editors of RED OCHRE PRESS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

Mimi Ferebee is the editor-in-chief of RED OCHRE PRESSoverseeing the publication of RED OCHRE LiT, ROLiT NEWS, and BLACK&WHITE.
While originally from California, she resides in Virginia with husband, Melvin, and son, Melthias Jai.

A graduate of the College of William and Mary, she received degrees in both English (emphasis in Creative Writing and Literature) and Psychology (emphasis in Behavioral and Developmental Science).

She recently retired a career as a clinical therapist to pursue her primary passions of writing and editing full-time. When not working on completing her novel “In the Distant Marshes” and various other literary projects, she diligently works to complete applications for doctoral programs. She wants to obtain a PhD in English Literature.

Mimi also works with at-risk youth, refining their reading and composition skills. She spends many evenings in detention centers and twice as many weekend mornings at libraries working with this population. She prides herself on being an advocate for her students, helping them not only perceive, but achieve their potential.

Her literary work has been featured recently in several journals, magazines and reviews, including Onè? Respè!Contemporary World Literature, Decanto Magazine (United Kingdom), Both Sides Now, Flutter Poetry Journal, Leaning House Press, Caper Literary Journal, ChickenBones: A Journal, Menopause Press, Taj Mahal Review (India), Black Magnolias Literary Journal Houston Literary Review. 

Look for upcoming publications in the award-winning journals, African American Review and phati’tude Literary Magazine. She will also have features in the revered Obsidian: Literature in the African Diaspora, James Dickey Review, Reverie: Midwest African American Literature, Pirene’s Fountain, among others.

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Mosaic Art & Literary Magazine – “The Brave Man who Lives in my Gullet Whispers”

This issue is no longer available for purchase, but the story can be read here.

“The Brave Man who Lives in my Gullet Whispers” was published in issue 52 of Mosaic Art and Literary Magazine. I had been waiting for a publication to pick this one up for a while, and I believed all along that it was a story with more merit than most of what I end up writing. The story is about cowardice in so many of its manifestations.

Mosaic Art and Literary is the University of California, Riverside’s undergraduate literary journal. In 1959, Mosaic began as a small group of poets, and we’re still going strong nearly 60 years later, having expanded into a home for all writers, musicians, and artists. They are completely undergraduate-run, and publish one volume of prose, poetry, and art every year. But that’s not all–we also host a number of community outreach events (including our popular Open Mic Nights) in order to promote and nurture the Riverside art and literary scene.

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Pisgah – “The Memoirist’s Christmas”

Pisgah Review is defunct, but read the story here.

“The Memoirist’s Christmas,” was published in the Summer 2012 issue of Pisgah Review. I think that sometimes, when someone’s in a particular mood, a mood that leads that person to feel as if the world cannot accommodate them, then she or he might also be led to conclude that the world is unaccommodating in general.  This piece was certainly written from a place of misanthropy and the fear through which that distrust is derived. 

“Pisgah” was wonderful enough to publish “The Memoirist’s Christmas,” but has since ceased publication. They operated out of the creative writing department at Brevard College, in Brevard, North Carolina. 

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Temenos – “My Portrait in the Memorial”

Though the story is no longer available through the publisher site, you can read it here

The short story titled “My Portrait In the Memorial”, published in the Winter 2013 issue of Temenos, relates an incident that traumatized my community while I was in junior high school.  I had a lot of issues writing this piece, and was even more conflicted when I began submitting it for publication.  But I believe that I was as honest as I could be (as if honesty is an excuse for publication), and I believe that it accurately reflects the ambiguities and ambivalences of unimaginable tragedy, so I hope that I acted reasonably here. 

Temenos is the Central Michigan University graduate literary journal, founded in 2000. The magazine has no philosophical or esthetic allegiances. They publish poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and art by new and established writers and artists.

The Greek word “temenos” refers both to the ancient Greek concept of sacred space and the Jungian ‘safe spot’ where one may bring the unconscious into the light of consciousness. Temenos’ mission is to bring to light works that are engaging, memorable, and fearless.

They accept submissions year round. Please see their submission guidelines for more information.

who we are

We seek outsider, clout-less, non-standard work that gleams.  We want to celebrate our contributors; both the artist and their art. For us, that means that upon publication, your submissions will appear in a journal that has been conceived by a team of caring and meticulous editors; it will look good. Ultimately, our goal is to publish catalysts of transition for the observer, to lull, or to instigate. We want work that encourages the appreciation of craft and the desire to create. 

The Greek word “temenos” refers both to the ancient Greek concept of sacred space and the Jungian ‘safe spot’ where one may bring the unconscious into the light of consciousness. Our mission is to bring to light works that are engaging, memorable, and fearless.

As of 2021, Temenos publishes one online edition in the spring, and one in the fall. Please see submit for our current Call for Submissions and submission guidelines. Past and current issues of Temenos can be accessed for free on this website, on both the home page and in the Archives. We can be contacted at temenoslit@gmail.com

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who we’ve been

Temenos is a literary journal that originated from Central Michigan University (CMU), founded in 2000 and run entirely by graduate student volunteers. The magazine has no philosophical or aesthetic allegiances. We publish poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and art by new and established writers and artists. Since 2020, Temenos operates entirely independently.

where we’re going

After a long period of tumult, the Temenos staff is happy to announce that we are back! We are so happy to be doing this and we’re excited to read and view your work.

Our submission fee is $5. Submission inquiries can be directed to temenoslit@gmail.com. If funds are lacking, we are willing to accommodate. Incarcerated artists and writers may submit for free, by email, as long as it is noted in the subject of the email.

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Constellations – “Turn into the Skid”

Constellations - Banner 2

“Turn into the Skid” is the story of a young manfailing to heed that sage piece of wisdom.  When you’re veering out of control it’s counter-intuitive to turn into the skid, but que sera, right?  This story also happens to be about the fleetingness of objects.

While the piece is not available online, you can order Volume 2 of Constellations, titled Upheaval, from Createspace for the totally reasonable price of $10.  Just click this link to be redirected to the order page.

Constellations - Cover - artsy copy

About Constellations’ editor:

Nina Rubinstein Alonso, editor of Constellations, has published in Ploughshares, The New Yorker, Sumac, Avatar, Women-Poems, U. Mass. Review, and New Boston Review, among other places, and her first book This Body was printed by Godine Press.

She taught English literature at Brandeis University and U. Mass., Boston, while continuing training in ballet and exploring modern dance.  (Crazy enough, and in my opinion her greatest achievement, is that she might – totally incidentally – be related to me.  The Petaluma Jewish community was somewhat incestual not too many generations back.)

Saturated with academia, she taught at Boston Ballet for eleven years, and performed in their Nutcracker, until sidelined by injuries. She makes her living teaching at Fresh Pond Ballet in Cambridge, MA. She says, “Now is the time for fresh voices in poetry and fiction. I’m looking for a new constellation.”

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