Why Did He Stop?

I ask myself a lot  why did he stop? Did I make too much noise? Did he hear other boys stir, their sleeping bags flop, anticipating eavesdrops? Too dark to see what he was turning me into beneath black nylon, stars. Do choked sobs travel far? A body he pulled from a Read more

Kristin Garth

Kristin Garth is a poet from Pensacola, Florida. She is a knee sock aficionado and a sonnet stalker. Her sonnets have stalked the pages of Luna Luna, Occulum, Anti-Heroin Chic, Ghost City Review, Drunk Monkeys, TERSE, Journal and many other publications. Her chapbook Pink Plastic House is available through maverickduckpress.com

Buddhist leader Noah Levine to continue teaching, despite #MeToo accusations

Independent investigation found the punk rock Buddhist likely broke rules against “creating harm through sexuality.” As a result of allegations of sexual misconduct against Buddhist leader Noah Levine, he is no longer affiliated with two nonprofit organizations he founded. But last week, Levine announced he will continue to lead and Read more

Nancy Levine

Nancy Levine is the author of the four-book series beginning with The Tao of Pug (Penguin) has just been released. She spent 30 years in corporate recruiting and human resources roles, starting at American Express Company. More recently, Nancy has devoted herself to advocacy efforts, working to eradicate child sexual abuse and amplifying the voices of survivors. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Senator John McCain: For the Greater Good

Arizona has had its share of elected officials who brought shame to the State in a national spotlight for years: Convicted felon and openly racist Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Mean-spirited Governor Jan Brewer who infamously shook her finger in President Obama’s face when he visited Arizona. Impeached Governor Evan Mecham, who 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.

Prosper

We raise our hands at the sound of the gun. We stand still waiting to be called on, but the race has already begun. Time ticks slowly, as we stare down the clock. Uncomfortably squirming, biting our lips and keeping them locked. It’s polite to be quiet and to wait Read more

Andrea Nardi

Andrea was born and raised in a small town in Upstate New York. She has had a passion for writing from a young age, and has recently been focused on getting back to her creative roots. After spending several months abroad, she has become more wanderlust than she thought possible, and has a strong desire to see and learn about the world around her. Ice cream, sunsets, and red wine are some of the little things in life that she enjoys most.

The Truths We Keep Hidden

Barefoot, I stood on the edge of the bluff, leaning out towards the great Pacific Ocean. The wind – dry and hot against my face – tethered me to the land. I stood in awe, surrounded by the beauty of the madrone tree. A sacred tree, revered for the strength Read more

Sara Ohlin

Sara Ohlin lives and writes in Bangor, Maine. Her essays can be found at Anderbo.com (as Sara Mitchell), Trillium Literary Journal, Mothers Always Write, The Good Mother Project and the anthology, Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak About Health Care in America. She’s a contributor to Her View from Home and currently writes about life, food, grief, and motherhood at www.lemonsandroses.com

Thirteen

She tells him she is thirteen, And he tells her that she can keep her shirt on when they fuck. She walks by the coffee shop that is no longer a Starbucks, But she is no longer the little girl Who ran to the other end of Grand Central on Read more

E. Mason Kaye

E. Mason Kaye is a mechanical engineering major at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, previously a drama student at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. Mason has one year of editing experience with Polyphony H.S., an online annual publication written and edited by teens. They are a freelance stage manager, occasional actor, and passionate writer. Mason particularly focuses on feminist works as well as integrating science into art in addition to themes including gender fluidity, queer identities, modern politics, and a general attack against bigotry.

Hit Like a Girl

I am proud to be a woman. I’m proud to “fuss” over small details, like my eyebrows, or the way you drive. I’m proud of the woman who came before me. The one who refused to lie down, refused to stay down despite how often she was pushed there. What Read more

Jamie Sawczyszyn

Jamie has been writing all of her life, and went to school for 3 years to study professional writing. Though she just began submitting to publications more recently, she has hosted several slam poetry events for herself and other writers to perform their works of art. Writing is more of an artistic outlet for her, and mainly focuses on raw nonfiction prose and poetry. She is in the works of writing a nonfiction book, which will focus on the psychological impact that her childhood had on her as she grew into an adult, and overcoming her anxiety disorder. She hopes that her book, like most of her works of poetry, will help any of her readers who are struggling with mental illness or going through a rough time in thier lives.

When I Was Young

If I could tell that young girl anything, I would tell her that no matter what horrific obstacles life throws at her, no matter the lowest depths of pain and insanity, or the highest highs, she’d manage somehow. No matter if she was rich or poor, single, famous, divorced, abused, Read more

Jacqueline Cioffa

A retired, international model, and celebrity makeup artist. Co-Author of Model Citi Zen, the guide. Founder of http://modelcitizenmakeup.blogspot.com/. Author of numerous prose pieces in various literary magazines. Most recently published in Little Episodes Brainstorms the anthology, among esteemed artists Sadie Frost, Melvin Burgess and Todd Swift.