Constellation of Pleasure: Only the Stars Can Hear Me

Chapter 1: Bloodguilt “You’re done with your period, right?” Elijah asked as he lit the candle on the nightstand beside his bed. It was already burnt down from use, but I knew better than to ask why. I wasn’t sure how to answer him at first. I had seen some Read more

DB Maddox

I was a clueless kid back then but I always followed my heart; I knew I wanted to be a Writer but I didn't know what that meant, or what my options were. So I became an Editor--it was something that just came naturally to me. Twenty-plus years later, I'm still an Editor. It has served me well, at least in the day-to-day; and when you're in survival mode, just getting through the day is enough. But at roughly the midway mark of my career, and looking up from the precipice of what must have been my 17th relapse, I thought that maybe this was just my destiny, and if so, there simply had to be value in chronicling it. And while my reasons for writing a memoir may have been tenuous and ever-evolving, it was never about catharsis. Instead, by reliving the trauma of my upbringing and the desperation of my youth, I discovered that I had had agency all along, in my own twisted way; and I felt compelled to share that revelation and have spent years searching for a platform to do just that--until I found the Feminine Collective. I invite you to engage therein with this ongoing series of excerpts from my debut memoir, "Constellation of Pleasure: Only the Stars Can Hear Me," a tale unduly tragic, but through which I expect readers will perceive a reflection of themselves to whatever degree, and be empowered.

THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY: Catholic Girl Essays

I am the oldest of three children. My brother Danny is a year younger than me, and we grew up, mostly, as tight comrades. We were a moderately happy family of evenly numbered four. I love even numbers. When I turn up the television volume, it must be by an Read more

Dori Owen

Dori Owen is a storyteller, writing from small town Arizona, after living a few decades in California as an LA Wild Child, with a brief stop in Reno. She settled into grownup life as a project manager, collecting an MBA and a few husbands along the way. She is a shown artist and her favorite pastime is upcycling old furniture and decor she finds from thrift stores. She lives with the cat who came to visit but stayed. The love of her life is her grown son who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her essays and poems have been published in RAW&UNFILTERED VOL I, StigmaFighters Vol 2, and Love Notes From Humanity. Her blogs have been featured on The Lithium Chronicles, Open Thought Vortex, Sudden Denouement, and The Mighty.

The Silver Sharpie Prophecy

The prophecy is written in silver sharpie on the girls’ bathroom wall, “Jamey Jenson Class Whore ’94”. Jamey’s stomach lurches as the words sink in. She wants to puke. Instead, she pulls down her pants and sits on the toilet, wishing she could flush herself down the sewer, too. It’s Read more

J. L. Perez

J.L Perez is an emerging fiction author who lives high in the Rocky Mountains near Boulder, Colorado. Her work is often dark and brutal; inspired by the secrets people keep and the social issues that shape us. She never skis but loves hiking the Rockies and binging on Star Trek whilst sipping Earl Grey in her footie pajamas. Her work can be found in Plains Paradox, and The Same Online Literary Journal.

Maybe It Wasn’t My Fault

Lacey could tell something was off. “What’s wrong, Mom?” “Nothing, Honey. But we need to talk – all of us.” Her mother meant all of “the girls” She looked at her three daughters warily. “Something’s happened, and I don’t know how to tell you.” “What happened? Are grandma and grandpa Read more

Reagan Brooks

Reagan Brooks is a college student from Texas. She had a difficult upbringing and finds writing her experiences helpful for her healing process. She hopes her story can help others and bring peace to those that need it.

Killing Myself to Sleep

I’m not complaining about being sober. The benefits of sobriety alone completely outweigh the losing prize waiting for me at the end of the bottle but fuck if I can’t sleep, I’m a miserable bastard. Sleeping sober is a trying and enduring problem of mine, and these troubled roots go Read more

Richard DeFino

Ricky De Fino grew up in New York City and currently resides in Buffalo NY. When he isn’t writing about his anxiety and his crazy Bronx upbringing, he enjoys watching countless hours of television with his wife Andrea, cat Bebe and dog Zeke. Two years sober, good coffee and veganism keeps him sane. His work can be found in Two Cities Review, tNY Press, Purple Pig Lit, Dialougal and Cycatrix Press.

6 Ways To Find Your Smile

I never write something with the intention of invoking reactions. I write my truth – good, bad, and ugly. When something is on my heart, I have to get it out, whether it’s through writing, public speaking, or a radio interview. My latest article, 6 Steps to Finding Your Real Read more

Andrea Clemens

Andrea Clemens received her master’s degree from Boston University in clinical social work and has been educating school faculty, students, administrators, parenting groups, mentors, and the general public about educator sexual misconduct for over ten years. She has participated in both local and national television shows, including the Montel Williams Show and Fox News Live. Andrea is a key member of the speaker’s bureau for S.E.S.A.M.E., a national organization dedicated to preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment of students by teachers and school staff. She is also an instructor with the non-profit organization, KidSafe Foundation, whose mission is to prevent child sexual abuse, bullying and internet dangers by providing education programs to children, seminars to parents, workshops to teachers and counselors and trainings to all professionals working with children. Andrea continues to invest time and energy ensuring schools can be safe environments for our children – free from harassment and abuse.

My Mother’s Death

My mother’s death was a shock at first. And then it was a relief. She was diagnosed with bone cancer on March 9, 2012. She died in the last minutes of March 21. How long she had had the bone cancer, her doctor would not suppose. What was known was Read more

Adrienne Pine

Adrienne Pine's creative nonfiction has been published in The Write Place at the Write Time, Tale of Four Cities, The Yale Journal of Humanities in Medicine, and other venues.

Collateral Damage

Collateral damage. The most accurate way to describe how I have come to this point in my life. To know how it feels to exist in a space I wasn’t wanted. To be born into a world I was never meant to be in. My entire existence is wrapped around Read more

Jackie Filer

Jackie Filer is a freelancer in the entertainment world. She works in television, theatre and film in a multitude of aspects; covering any ground that needs to be covered. New York has laid a stake in her and Jackie now calls the city home. Any spare time she has you will find her drinking wine with her girls or on the top of a mountain discovering new perspectives on life.