Essays

Minds Can Fly, Too
Cassandra Brandt finds an unlikely source of comfort after a life-altering spinal cord injury.

In the Shape of a Monster
Kristin Idaszak embraces rightful rage as her body goes off script.

A Marvel of Chaos
Ann Klotz wrangles 46 snack-obsessed third, fourth, and fifth graders, hoping to make a play.

Some Things I Will Not Do
Kim MacQueen imposes fleeting order on enduring family chaos.

A Girl Who Watched
Kristine Langley Mahler pays close attention as the world transforms around her.

The Hallway
Katharine Malaga learns how to listen to more than just her husband’s words.

Face Whitening
Farzana Nasrin resolves to change her looks as she struggles to be seen.

The Old Man on the Minibus
Michael Riordan doesn’t exactly enjoy an iced-cold bottle of Coke.

Close to the Truth
Suzanne Roberts seeks veracity against a backdrop of family fictions.

Picture Me Then
Christie Tate controls her size-zero body, until she realizes it’s controlling her.

Grasshoppers in a Jar
Hugh Willard discovers that family dynamics never go on vacation.

Poetry

Rescue
Denise Drapeau inhabits the gray space between help and harm.

The Colors of Grace
Lake Angela revels in the stories of her grandmother’s vivid past.

Road Rage at Red Honda Guy
Yvette Schnoeker-Shorb drives mad until her anger takes the exit.

River Triptych
Richard Stimac wades into the waters of time, place and memory.

Photography

Auto-Focus
Kelly Steele

Painting with a Camera
Michael Toussaint

A Note to Our Readers

Some of the work in this issue presents emotionally complex subject matter such as body dysmorphia, familial violence, racism, and substance abuse.