Story Behind the Story

Today’s post is written by Dan Alter. We published his poem “Summoning Dylan” in our Spring 2015 issue. In one sense, although this poem is framed as a summoning, it is a work of exorcism. The poem is a séance to exorcise Dylan, who has haunted me for more than thirty years: his power, his unswerving full…

Today’s post is written by Kate Wisel. We published her short story “Benny’s Bed” in our Spring 2015 issue.  “Benny’s Bed” was born out of a story a friend told at 3 a.m. as we were falling asleep in my college living room. In short, when she was in high school, her friend’s boyfriend died of a…

Today’s post is written by Kathleen Glassburn. We published her conversation with Laura Madeline Wiseman—“On Plotting the Dime Novel“ —in our Spring 2015 issue. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by all the options. I’m talking about the deluge of email invitations and announcements. I often wonder: Should I do this? Should I sign up for this? Should I stop everything and re-write a story…

Today’s post is written by Ruth Foley. We published two of her poems in our Spring 2015 issue. Both “Testament” and “With Love, The Choice” are, at heart, about how little control we have over what we leave. I’m fascinated with loss—as so many poets are—and I had been thinking quite a bit about how little loss…

Today’s post is written by Peter Munro. We published his poem “Though I Speak in Tongues of Ravens” in our Spring 2015 issue.  Crows, Ravens, and Keeping Faith Crows season the poem “Though I Speak in Tongues of Ravens.” It is true that crows are salted in only minor murders. It is also true that…

Today’s post is written by Rebecca Taylor Fremo. We published her nonfiction piece “Here There Be Snakes” in our Spring 2015 issue.  I replayed that experience at Minneopa Falls in my head more times than I can count, stunned that something so seemingly innocent could transform itself into something so treacherous in the blink of…

Today’s post is written by Erin Redfern. We published her poem “The Baths” in our Spring 2015 issue. Do other poets feel drifty at times? When both reading and writing, I like a poem that anchors me to an identifiable place. “The Baths” is a tether to a sulphur hot tub at the very edge…

Today’s post written by Louis Wittig. We published his nonfiction piece “Hugging the Rail” in our Fall 2014 issue.  As soon as I realized the train I was on had hit someone, I knew that I had to write about it, and that if I didn’t write about it I would have failed at something…

Today’s post is written by Amy Trainor. We published her creative nonfiction piece “Miss Eleanor” in our Fall 2014 issue.  I was inspired to write “Miss Eleanor” during an unseasonably snowy February here in Charlotte, NC. Miss Eleanor—an anonymous wrong number caller—had called me several days earlier and it caused me to start thinking about…