I hope you all have enjoyed the guest-edited showcases. They will return on June 8th. For now, however, you will have to put up with me. Many apologies. But here’s what I found that got me:

A short-short by the unreasonably talented Nadine Darling. I’m impatiently awaiting a collection from her… but in the meantime, I make do with pieces like this one, in Alice Blue, which is a pregnancy story told in sections headlined by amazing animal facts. Once again, Darling wowed me with her unrivaled uniqueness and imagery.

An essay in Brevity by Suzanne LaFetra, about a leaving her husband. Each paragraph, often a single sentence, is written as a time reference. It’s a very cool format, and it makes for an easy and entertaining read.

A short story in the stellar journal Ecotone, which “emphasizes the deep importance of place in contemporary writing.” Since I’m obsessed with place, I often browse journals that incorporate it into their vision. This particular story, “Varieties of Loudness in Chicago,” by Elizabeth Crane, is one that you can’t help but fall into. Good use of second person, too.

A micro-fiction by Jim Tomlinson, the author of Things Kept, Things Left Behind. I’m amazed by what he did with exactly 100 words.

A poem! By J.T. Ledbetter, in the current issue of Salt Flats Annual, which is turning out to be quite a spectacular publication. Titled “Millay at the Mall,” this poem is weird and cool at the same time. And sexy, too, which, since it’s about the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, well-known for her love affairs, is mandatory. But I’m not a poetry critic, so I can’t say much beyond: I love it. Hopefully that is enough.

Now, for links and excerpts:

“Amazing Animal Facts” by Nadine Darling
short-short
published by Alice Blue

Say, what’s a stupid name and Carl says, Carl. Laugh. Say, what about Rocket? Think about a handsome boy named Rocket and how his name would be an instant pass to football, commercials, girls. Think about how everyone loves rockets. Fall asleep atop Carl on the couch feeling like a hand in a hand in a hand.

“Nine Days” by Suzanne LaFetra
essay
published by Brevity

Minutes before sunrise on the morning of her birthday that she slipped off her wedding ring: 3

“Varieties of Loudness in Chicago” by Elizabeth Crane
a short story
published by Ecotone

Paolo Pagano, Jr. aspires to be louder. It runs in the family. Little Paulie, as he’s known, is the loudest. Loudness is to this family what college is to others. It’s their pride, and it’s what they’re good at.

“Rose” by Jim Tomlinson
micro-fiction
published by Tuesday Shorts

How long did you take, inflating her, pausing breathlessly, yet refusing help?

“Millay at the Mall” by J.T. Ledbetter
poem
published by Salt Flats Annual

downstairs they sold coffee and rolls so she had a buttered scone and said it was stale
the manager came out and asked her what she knew about stale scones
and who was that man hanging out of her body
whose legs and arms and hats and dogs and cats and twin moons were those anyway

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