John Farrell Kelly A melody emerges in the darkness. My spirit slowly surfaces, and my mind gently moves and stretches. I quietly state, “Siri, stop.” I open my eyes, turn to my side, and tap my...
Denise Magloire The sound of drops crashing against the window fills the room until they are masked by the cries of a newborn. His lungs fill up with air, his fists tightly clenched, and his eyes...
Cole Pragides At dawn, my grandfather’s eyes are enveloped in silver mist. Burning atmospheres as he looks around his backyard of small effigies. Around us: dented tins, scarred lacquer, gouged wax...
Alexandra Clemente Perez Carola looks through the windshield of her golden Corolla. There is a green Chevy pick-up staring straight at her. My mother Carola, my husband, and I are on one end; our...
Nafisa Nazir A lifetime of broken plates and bruised knuckles will chase you out of your cradle before the typhoon does. I don’t remember the day I left well, only all that came after. I remember...
Julia Talen Julia Kooi Talen is an essayist and poet based in the midwest where she teaches creative writing and composition. Currently a PhD candidate in creative writing, Talen lives with their...
Annabel Li On the dirt-beige sofa, Dad lies across the crooks of cushions like an em-dash, surrounded by a Jenga of student theses and chemical engineering textbooks, a royal blue cookie tin holding...
LaTanya McQueen As the boy he was, a child who loved and was loved, and if only they’d seen him as this and not whatever it was they saw instead to warrant what they believed, maybe then they would...
Esther Ra 2025 Spring Contest Nonfiction Winner On the first day of Property class, we each filled out a survey describing our most valuable piece of property. Some write, My law degree. Others, My...
Brooklin Pigg My mom started dating a man named Elliot when my friend Elliot died. If I asked her for the timeline, I’m sure she would remind me that she was seeing her Elliot a few weeks or even...
