Ben by Tyler Mendelsohn
“It’s possible I crossed paths with the ghost of my grandfather, whose blood is mine but whose life I can barely fathom.”
The Wood Burning Prayer by Zia Pollis
“wire and sinew won’t protect you against January’s hard breath”
Missed Abortion by Katie Sinback
“Never have I felt more certain that a woman should not be forced to be the vessel for an unwanted pregnancy.”
“you’ll never know what your mother went through” by KB
“Why when I look at you & see no traces of me I see a whole bloodline shrunk down to a question mark.”
A Boy Called Moose by Santi Elijah Holley
“But while the nation’s attention is diverted, black men, women, and children continue to die.”
By the Skin of Our Teeth by Sadie Fuchswild
“I am complacent again as I swallow his fingers.”
How I Know Bruce Springsteen Wants To Get Fisted by Jaz Papadopoulos
“Splinters of memory come out in my teeth as I pass the time with my hands in my mouth.”
Autobiography in Eight Hairstyles by Susan Vespoli
“more toxic than chemical exposure, is the act of not owning your thoughts or speaking your mind”
Letter from Spain, July 2018 by Emily Rapp Black
“This is not an argument with God or about God or for God”
Earth is the Mother of Metal by Jane Gregorie
“Metal is autumn and grief and weeping and the color white and the mother of Water.”
Dear Gramps, You Short Angry Bastard by Tom Griffen
“You slipped into a childhood brogue and cried your little green eyes out like a baby.”
On the Creation of Family Lore by Christina Yoseph
“They shared the commonalities of language and home”
Obsessed with Obsession by Vanessa Salemi
“The stove needs to be checked thirty more times, or your mother will artlessly burst into flames.”
Body Positivity (Ish): Thoughts on a Movement by Emily Rapp Black
“I don’t love my body, and this makes me feel like I’m failing”
Larf by Hobie Anthony
“The end results of human endeavors don’t often live up to expectations”
My New Friend by Jessica Wadleigh
“The anxiety that I felt over my gender identity was always latent, ready to present itself at a moment’s notice.”