1998

I.  Breaking: Lanky Boys Throw Hands in Parking Lot Scuffle. Clichéd “fight!” chant chorused by hackneyed prepubescent boys eager for bloodied bread. Adults, bemused by scrawny- armed haymakers, sip nips in curbside seats. Lightweight belt withheld at bell; an even-match of puny sob stories determined. Tune in at ten for Read more

James Paraskevas

James is a former Bostonian who has been kidnapped by his nefarious wife, force-fed nutritional meals thrice daily, and lovingly coerced to live among the shire-folk in the land of Southern New Hampshire. He teaches English at the local high school when he's not petting his cat, eyeballing dusty books, or professing undying love to the aforementioned wife.

Rumor has it… the ugly side of Gossip

“Gossiping and lying go hand in hand.” Proverb I have always lived by the philosophy that if someone has a problem with me, then they should tell me. Not tell everyone else.  Unfortunately, all humans do have their flaws, and more often than not, they end up telling everyone else Read more

Stephanie Ortez

Stephanie is a highly caffeinated mother of two wonderful boys. She is hopelessly addicted to non-fiction books and literature that moves her to tears. She is an admissions advisor for George Washington University online where she assists homeschooled students internationally. Stephanie lives with Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She is a passionate mental health advocate, member of Stigma Fighters. Her writing has been featured on The Elephant Journal, The Mighty, The Organic Coffee Haphazardly and Feminine Collective.

Two Tall Women in NYC

Losing my identity was not in our plan. Mary and I came to the big city to celebrate finishing our books—my psychological thriller and her memoir of love and loss in Zimbabwe. Starving on San Diego’s thin cultural gruel, our reward was to be a week of feasting on New Read more

Sheila A. Sharpe

Sheila A. Sharpe is a psychologist, writer, and teacher from Del Mar, CA. Her previous work in in painting and film criticism (MFA from UCSD) has provided important background for her fiction and non-fiction writing. Her publications include a professional book, "The Ways We Love," and several peer-reviewed articles on love and family relationships. She has recently completed her first novel, Locked in a Box, a psychological thriller.

Miss Congeniality

Sundays I travel it’s visiting day time to see my fair little friend who lives in a place of maximum security no chance of parole. Before she arrives I make stories up in my head of inmates here on why and what brought them to a concrete barbed wire home. 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.

To the Ones Who Think Friendship is Easy

The concept of “friendship” is hard to define. But I’ll tell you one thing. It’s anything but easy. Some do it right and cross that long bridge to meet a friend at the center so they can jump down into the ocean waiting below. Together. Others do it wrong and Read more

Catarina Chung

I am a writer who attends a magnet high school focused on STEM. I am in the Medical academy at Bergen County Academies, but I write in my free time. Some of my work has won a gold medal from the Scholastic Art and Writing competition, and some have been published in Bergen Community College's magazine, "The Pegasus."

Going to the Chapel

The last time I had been there was not for death,but for marriage, vows spoken and witnessed by all That was the last time I saw those faces smiling the last time we laughed the last time we danced, owning the room That was the last time I was serenaded Read more

Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson is the Creator and Publisher of Feminine Collective. Julie was inspired to create this safe place for women to share their secrets, desires, triumphs and pain as the antithesis of what mainstream media offers women today. In her column Pursuit of Perfection, she explores the importance of rectifying the balance of inner and outer beauty through essays, poems and articles on self-esteem, shame, family, and self- acceptance.

My Truths

I am almost 42 years old, in the middle chapter of my life. Large volumes of experiences are now behind me, and large volumes are yet to come if I am lucky. I have been married for 18 years and started my marriage when I was a baby. I didn’t Read more

Emily Miller

Emily Miller passionately writes about her personal experiences and all things related to motorcycles. She is the mother of two spirited and inspiring children. Her husband accompanies her on many adventures but mostly on the adventure of life. Bend, Oregon is her hometown and you can find her actively volunteering and working in the community there. Follow her work of LifeofMoto.com

Night at the Improv

I needed a good scare. Something that felt like a roller coaster, but without the height. Entering my fiftieth year, I was contemplating my bucket list and my singledom. A wise friend had told me that “Doing something interesting will make you an interesting person,” so I decided that a Read more

Monica Catto

Monica Catto resides in Mississauga, Ontario. She garners much of her inspiration for writing from her life experiences. Whatever the life lesson may be, she can always find a story hidden inside. She credits the women she mentors in her work with human trafficking as her greatest teachers. Read more of her musings at crackedpotsblog.com.