Category Archives: Fiction

Boner Jones, fiction by Antonios Maltezos

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Rusty

Bon­er Jones would see about get­ting a pair of mould­ed insoles made for his feet like the crip­ples wear, so the bot­toms of his shoes would hit the ground prop­er­ly. He would have his pants tai­lor made, stitched spe­cial so … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

Posted in antonios maltezos, boner jjones, Fiction | 4 Comments

Sunday Afternoon at Earl's, fiction by Randy Lowens

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Rusty

The driver's win­dow is down. Pave­ment hums beneath his tires, air beats against the rear wind­shield, and the engine howls as he climbs. A heifer moans from a shad­owed pas­ture on the road­side.  Logan gears down as he rounds a … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

Posted in Fiction, randy lowens | 1 Comment

Love Letter by Donna Vitucci

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Rusty

Dear Sam, Once they sprung you loose from the war, why go to a no-name Okla­homa town, among strangers? Why hole up in a board­ing house with a freck­led girl who has no idea the shine and pur­pose you held … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

Posted in donna vitucci, Fiction, love letter | 4 Comments

Blind Lemon, by Jim Parks

Posted on June 4, 2009 by Rusty

"[African-Amer­i­­can folk­lore] is like jazz; there's no inher­ent prob­lem which pro­hibits under­stand­ing but the assump­tions brought to it." –Ralph Elli­son, Paris Review No. 8 Inter­view by Alfred Chester & Vil­ma Howard Walk­ing into the uncom­fort­able warmth of the build­ing, the odor … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

Posted in Fiction, Jim Parks | 1 Comment

Reg's First Time, by Court Merrigan

Posted on December 1, 2008 by Rusty

Reg bought into the Win­ter­creek the sum­mer he was 16 on the strength of the work he'd been doing sum­mers and vaca­tions for the past five years. The Legion base­ball coach called every day for two weeks when he found … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

Posted in court merrigan, Fiction, reg's first time | 1 Comment

Sister Hayes Takes Up a Serpent by Rosanne Griffeth

Posted on October 6, 2008 by Rusty

Sis­ter Hayes, she lifts her eyes up to the Lord so hard they roll back. She sings sacred songs and dances, quick-step­ping and jerk­ing as the anoint­ing descends. It descends like a tree a'falling. It falls like a wall of … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

Posted in Fiction, rosanne griffeth, sister hayes takes up a serpent, snake-handling | 4 Comments

No Reason Not To by Mary Akers

Posted on September 12, 2008 by Rusty

She’s got good days and bad days. Some­times the days pass right quick-like, and she’ll go for hours, push­ing it down and for­get­ting. But even­tu­al­ly the thoughts slip back in, cen­ti­pede-like, through a crack in her con­cen­tra­tion. Then that bright pain … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

Posted in Fiction, mary akers, no reason not to | 1 Comment

None So Blind by Donna D. Vitucci

Posted on September 5, 2008 by Rusty

"You'll kill a plant if you touch it when you're bleed­ing," she told me. "Leaves will shriv­el, fruit drop from the vine. Not just any blood. Mind me, I'm talk­ing the month­lies." Mama raised me up with super­sti­tion. In the … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

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Cotton Season by Jim Parks

Posted on August 26, 2008 by Rusty

William Pierce, Jr., grasped his hip with both hands and tugged with all his strength against the action of the auger that had caught his leg and was pulling his body to bloody pieces. Red Smith locked eyes with him … Con­tin­ue read­ing →

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