Never Allowed to Be Young A pail of water to fetch for Mama Before she collapses for good Then a basket of bread To sell before the sun sets. A ragged Raggedy Ann doll Gathers dust in the corner of the hut While a TV across the ocean Portrays two preteens bickering loudly….
This September, many writing opportunities are available, including contests for flash fiction, poetry, and short stories. Some of these opportunities might have specific requirements, but the ones listed here are open to all writers and free to enter. Check each call and its guidelines carefully, and please keep this page bookmarked for updates throughout the…
Black Days by Jackson Ellis is about Daniel Fassett, who reaches his breaking point after crashing his car into a river on Christmas Eve. He nearly drowns, and falls into a coma for four months, just before he was supposed to retire. Because of this, he loses a big part of his pension. Feeling depressed…
3 POEMS BY EMMANUEL UMEJI COMMUNING today a white mark appears on my face it is summer & the winter hanging above my roof had wrapped her water in her womb awaiting a new winter to spill her rain-beads & today it’s winter o’clock & summer is holding her dust into her oesophagus, awaiting another…
Obioma revisits the Nigerian civil war in this skillfully written prose, The Road to the Country, which is full of heart-piercing metaphors. He juxtaposes mystical and physical realms in telling the story. The book is a carnival of stories of the Biafran dead. For his writing style and nuance, The New York Times in 2015…