Ask the Rust
By Sean-Taro Nishi, After being kicked out of my ex’s apartment I had to move back in with my old man. You’d think after beating prostate cancer last December he’d be grateful to have me back. But no. He says I need to pay rent if I want to stay in my old childhood room. […]
Obsidian
By Charlotte Razzino, Jay spent his walk home counting. Not cracks in the sidewalk, nor the numerous dog walkers and stroller shunters that often patrolled his neighborhood, but the hours (4), minutes (12), and seconds (22, 21, 20…) that remained until his application was due. The act of submitting it would be effortless, click a […]
Cossacks
By Marc Nemiroff, Last year I was little. I was six years-old and something happened. I don’t think it started then. I think what happened was a keep-going from before, but I’m not sure because no one will tell me. A long time ago when I was five, Daddy dropped me off at Gramma Ruthie and […]
When Rose Met James Michael
By Brian Mosher, Rose: Usually when a man offers to buy me a drink, my responses range from a curt, “No, thank you” to “Fuck off, you wanker.” I suppose you can take the girl out of Belfast, but she’s still Irish. I’ve never settled in one place long enough to establish a real relationship, […]
Artificial Intelligence and the world’s “Oppenheimer Moment”
By Bernd Debusmann WASHINGTON — The rapid advance of Artificial Intelligence has pushed the world to the brink of a technological revolution that will affect most of the world’s eight billion people. It raises a question of crucial importance: will AI be a force for good or an existential threat? There have been impressive AI-assisted […]
Certainty
By James F. McGrath, “I’m recording this so that you can be certain, as I am…” Kelly Wallace pushed the button on the console again and stopped the recording. Before she finalized it, and recorded the concluding phrase, before she made it final and sent it off, she wanted to listen to the entire thing one […]
Danila Botha, author of “Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness”
Danila Botha, author of “Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness” talks about keeping things short, rejection, perseverance, Anne Frank and addiction. Esoterica Magazine published one of the stories in the collection, Rats in Disguise. Read the story and then watch our lovefest.
An Unforgettable Float
By Daisy Cashin, Linda woke up with the summer sun and reached over to her bed’s cold right side. Startled not to find anyone there, she reached for a pack of Parliament cigarettes on her bedside table, then plucked one out with her front teeth. In the table’s drawer, Linda found a pink lighter and […]
The Zone of Interest and Perpetrator Fiction
By Leah Eichler, As a teenager, my mom used to treat me to a manicure if I promised to stop biting my nails. I bit them as soon as I could fit a sliver of nail under my teeth. I bit them even with the polish meant to taste like gasoline. I bit them until […]
Under the Midnight Sun
By Debra J. Tillar There was a commotion in the penguin colony. Frantic screeching and clamor. A skua had stolen a pin-feathered chick from a nest left unattended and the outraged parent was trying to snatch back the tiny, lifeless creature. Devin watched the skua win the tug-of-war and sail with its plunder into the […]