In grade three Scotty said I ain’t got no
lunch money. We were delighted.
We crowed, That means you do.
If you don’t have none, then you have some. Mrs. Cole, otherwise kind,
had just taught us the double negative.
But Scotty, one of those kids always
moving, dirty, in trouble, starved for food,
kisses, laughter, anything and everything,
still had no money for lunch.
Some languages would let Scotty
have his doubled poverty. Russian,
for instance, negates everything.
U nevo ne bylo nichevo. Literally:
In his possession nothing of anything wasn’t.
U nevo is interesting. With him, beside him,
near him, in his possession, in his situation,
in his position, he is characterized by.
Most common English translation: he has.
U nevo nichevo. He has nothing.
English gathers round Scotty, jeering.
Don’t you know how to talk? Haven’t
you learned anything? Can’t you think?
Russian isn’t concerned with that logic.
Russian is concerned with nyet.
Nikovo nikogda nigde nichevo ne bylo.
No one never nowhere nothing was not.
A person with no lunch money could say,
U menya nichevo, ni deneg, ni obeda.
I am characterized by nothing,
nothing of money, nothing of lunch.
This Isn’t Really Happening
My black bird was bigger,
my mountains were burning.
The snows stopped coming
sometime around 1999. The wells
dried. The shower sputtering
with soap in my hair
so I was always late. That tame crow
someone set loose spying
through the skylight, jeering.
How many ways is that? Each year
the river running thinner,
fleeing its shrinking glacier.
The Arapaho said the thunderbird,
black as any bird
gets, lived just west of here.
Someone must have seen it,
the day it flapped away.
We don’t get regular afternoon
stunners the way we used to.
You could set your heart on
those 2 PM monsoons. Biblical
lightning, all that water. Now: rusting
Ponderosas, centuries old,
disrobing. All good things
must end. Perhaps nightmares
also end. Not perhaps
in our lifetimes.
Poor lost crow, these are not
the best of times
to be falling asleep.
Sync
A few months with other women,
a woman bleeds.
Ten years’ time, a woman synchronizes
with her man.
Over thousands of miles, your arousal
brings my body astir.
Men make movies, you said—now they loop
through my head.
Golden locks on our dark headboard,
naked ass raised.
If I were making this up, I’d be watching you
both; the camera’s on her.
Your currents churn through my body;
don’t think I don’t know.
BIO
Claudia Putnam’s work appears in I-70 Review, Weber: The Contemporary West, Literary Mama, Barrow Street, Artful Dodge, Cimarron Review, Confrontation, and in many other journals. A chapbook, Wild Thing in Our Known World, came out last year from Finishing Line and is available from Finishing Line Press and on Amazon. In 2011-12, she had the George Bennett Fellowship. In 2015, she’ll be at Kimmel Harding Nelson. www.claudiaputnam.com
FICTION
A Clean Break – Vince Barry
Georgey-Dear – Tetman Callis
Offing Buck – Victoria Forester
Sore Throat – Carolyn Geduld
The Two Potters – Norbert Kovacs
Everyone Smile – Douglas Ogurek
Recovery – Paul Rosenblatt
Thick Skin, Locked Jaw, Yes Ma’am – Rina Sclove
POETRY
Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal
John Califano
R.T. Castleberry
Laurinda Lind
Nanette Rayman
Roger Singer
NONFICTION
Historic(!) Rugby – Tim Miller
Cochina de Mierda – Jennifer Jordán Schaller
ARTWORK
Katarina Zuder – Artwork
INTERVIEW
Author, Mallory O’Meara
Spring 2019 Issue
FICTION
The River Kent – Annie Blake
As I Lay Scratching – AN Block
Little Nell Answers the Bell – James R. Kincaid
Not a Seamless Lunch – Anna Linetskaya
Day Hike – Priscilla Mainardi
Herman Loves Brooke – Anthony J. Mohr
Gail – Lily Tierney
POETRY
Holly Day
Chris Fox
Mary Kasimor
Jared Pearce
Marvin Rosel
Zach Trebino
Guinotte Wise
NONFICTION
Listening to the Voice – Eve Dobbins
Who is Jackie Brown? – Rachel Scott
ARTWORK
Natalie Shau – Illustration/Photography
Winter 2018-19 Issue
FICTION
The Ultra Injustice – Scott Bassis
Surprise – William Cass
Suit Yourself – Lindsey Godfrey Eccles
José María Writes a Story – Annette Freeman
Snit’s Wife – Phil Gallos
Meetings – Margaret Karmazin
Nothing Comes Back – Susan Lloy
The Harmacy – Stephanie Mataya
POETRY
Adrian Cretu
E.G. Ted Davis
M.A. Istvan, Jr.
A.C. O’Dell
Lauren Sartor
Alex Schmidt
J.A. Staisey
Garrison Alecsaunder
NONFICTION
In the Eye – Deborah Morris
How to Change Your Name – Jayelle Seeley
Book Review: The Night Ocean
ARTWORK
Anna Angrick Illustration
INTERVIEW
Kathryn Harrison
Fall 2018 Issue
FICTION
Linda Boroff – Let That Be a Lesson
Laura Fletcher – I Know
Zachary Ginsburg – Disposal
John Mandelberg – The Plagiarist
Evelyn Somers – Mr. Whiskey, the Greatest of All
Kobina Wright – Invitations
POETRY
Judy Shepps Battle
Mary Bone
Zoë Christopher
Jim Farfaglia
DS Maolalai
Amber Wilkinson
NONFICTION
Eimile Bowden – Female, Age Twenty
Jeffrey James Higgins – An Uncommon Hero
Ana Vidosavljevic – A Turkish Coffee Reader
ARTWORK
Leigh Anita – Illustration
Spring 2018 Issue
FICTION
Shamar English – KETCHUP SANDWICH
Joe Fortunato – A MARVELOUS PEACE
Rosemary Harp – IN THE KELP FOREST
Maggie Herlocker – THE CAROUSEL
Robert Klose – THE TABLE
Michael McCormick – PINK LEMONADE
Megan Parker – THE SWAMP WITCH
Trish Perrault – THE BRIDGE
POETRY
Brad Garber
Ricky Garni
Susan Richardson
Deborah Saltman
Kimberly White
NONFICTION
Emmie Barron – GHOST GIRL
Linda Leigh – UP ABOVE and the DOWN BELOW
Rick White – STITCHES
FICTION
Jacqueline Friedland – Just Allowance
John Bach – Letter No. 8 — Gunslinger in the Church
Sayuri Yamada – Dancers
Leonard Kress – Evooshkoo
John Richmond – The Hill
Bobby Fischer – Three Wolves
David Starnes – Sagging Crown
Erin Lebacqz – Sustenance
David S. Atkinson – Turndown Service
Emily Topper – Something Better
POETRY
RAY GONZALEZ
RISA DENENBERG
CLYDE KESSLER
PAUL HOSTOVSKY
DOUG DRAIME
INTERVIEW
Sam Rosenthal, Author and Musician
NONFICTION
The Treatment by Xijing “Patricia” Sun
God’s Junkyard by Margaret Ackerman
Ghosts by Christine Barcellona
BOOK REVIEWs
J.C. Elkin’s World Class by Juliana Woodhead
Richard Powers’ Orfeo by Sarah Sarai
ARTWORK
The Artist’s Window: The Work of Katerina R. Kovatcheva
The Sundial Bridge: The Photography of Keith Moul
The Life of an Artist: The Work of W. Jack Savage
WINTER 2013-14
FICTION
Michael Andreoni
Sean Croft
April Dávila
Gale Deitch
Ceri Eagling
Brittany Lynn Goss
Mark Hollock
Mercedes Lucero
Gary Noland
Danny Olea
Melissa Palmer
David Vardeman
Shanna Yetman
POETRY
Angela Hibbs
Jeffrey Lee Owens
Patty Seyburn
Gray Tolhurst
Joseph Trombatore
NONFICTION Stephanie Flood
Jessica Caudill
Elizabeth Bales Frank
J.D. Lynn
Elen Rochlin
ART
Kayla Roseclere & Ashley Inguanta
Alexndra Straton
Laura Watson
FICTION
Brian Conlon
Catherine Nicholas
Kelly Jacobson
Adeline Hauber
R.V. Branham
C.D. Mitchell
Darlene Campos
Lynn Stansbury
Molly Gillcrist
John Tavares
POETRY
B.Z. Niditch
Eleni Erikson
Simon Perchik
Sarah Sarai
Aunia Kahn
NONFICTION Pamela Langley
J.J. Anselmi
Elizabeth Dobbin
ART
Mable Song
Lisa Wilde
Vineet Radhakrishnan
Aunia Kahn
Christine Robakidze
INTERVIEWS
Ivy Pochoda
Martin Aston
SUMMER 2013
FICTION
Sophie Monatte
Emma Bohmann
G.D. McFetridge
Tana Young
Janae Green
Lydia Lambrou
Linda Bilodeau
Nick Brennan
Keith Laufenberg
Ruby Cowling
Rami Ungar
POETRY
Niall Rasputin
Joanna Valente
R.T. Castleberry
Kristen Hoggatt
Sam Alper
Jennifer Firestone
NONFICTION Krista Carlson
Brenda Rankin
Jacqueline Doyle
Dorene O’Brien
C.A. Stamidis
ART
Michael Vincent Manalo
Jasmine Worth
Van Saro
Ira Joel Haber
INTERVIEWS
Steph Cha
SPRING 2013
FICTION
Kate LaDew
Robert Scott
Samuel Snoek-Brown
Ruby Cowling
Valerie Lewis
Scott Stambach
Charles West
Alexandra Gilwit
Stefanie Trout
James Lewelling
POETRY
Mary Bast
Lisa J. Cihlar
Darren Demaree
Chris Crittenden
Pramila Venkateswaran
Desmond Kon
Jenny Morse
NONFICTION
Rachael Goetzke
Christine Ritenis
R.R. Gwaltney
Laura Callanan
ART
Cecile Poulain
Janet Culbertson
Tom Block
Chuck Hodi
INTERVIEWS
Manuel Gonzales
Isis Aquarian
Arthur Tulee
WINTER 2012-2013
FICTION
Radha Bharadwaj
Barrie Walsh
Emil DeAndreis
Brett Burba
Maui Holcomb
David S. Atkinson
Shannon McMahon
Frances O’Brien
Shae Krispinsky
POETRY
Judith Taylor
Dorothy Chan
A.J. Huffman
Amy Sprague
H. Alexander Shafer
Amit Parmessur
Rinzu Rajan
Robert P. Hansen
NONFICTION
David B. Comfort
Chase Wilkinson
ART
Joe Biel
Fletcher Crossman
Natasha Stanton
Peter Colquhoun
INTERVIEWS
Alexandra Styron
Steven Weissman
FALL 2012
FICTION
Caroline Rozell
Lorraine Comanor
Marc Simon
Len Joy
Priscilla Mainardi
Harvey Spurlock
Max Sheridan
Katja Zurcher
Linda Nordquist
Steven Miller
POETRY
Jasmine Smith
Lowell Jaeger
Jose Flores
Corey Mingura
Katherine MacCue
Calvero
NONFICTION
Colleen Corcoran
Chelsey Clammor
Alia Volz
ART
Eric Rodriguez
Loren Kantor
Keith Moul
Eric Rodriguez
INTERVIEWS
Amelia Gray
Ruth Clampett
SUMMER 2012
FICTION
Brian S. Hart
Jessica Caudill
Amanda McTigue
Leslie Johnson
Brandon Bell
Marija Stajic
Rachel Bentley
Rebecca Wright
Orlin Oroschakoff
POETRY
Gretchen Mattox
Mike Donaldson
Lucie Winborne
David Russomano
Jess Minkert
ART
Judith Taylor
Yi Gao
Dallas Paterson
Elias Duchowny
INTERVIEW
David Cowart, Part II
SPRING 2012
FICTION
Eliezra Schaffzin
Melissa Palmer
Pamela Dreizen
Claire Noonan
Ben Orlando
Joe Kilgore
Francis Chung
Kevin Ridgeway
Karoline Barrett
G.L. Williams
POETRY
Gale Acuff
Susan King
Ivy Page
Sonali Gurpur
Holly Day
NONFICTION
Henry F. Tonn
Lily Murphy
ART
Leonard Kogan
Orlin Oroschakoff
Chad Kaplan
INTERVIEW
David Cowart, Part I
WINTER 2011-2012
FICTION
Greg November
Ashley Inguanta
Brooke Kwikkel
Tegan Webb
Ruth Webb
Edward Wells
Tantra Bensko
Keith Laufenberg
Robert Sachs
POETRY
Geordie de Boer
Amanda Hempel
Lisa Sisler
Garth Pavell
NONFICTION
Shay Belisle
Emily-Jane Hills Orford
ART
Soey Milk
Ashley Inguanta
Brett Stout
INTERVIEW
Howard Junker
Emily Kiernan
FALL 2011
FICTION
Patrick T. Henry
Matt Thomas
Tracy Auerbach
Marko Fong
A. Lazakis
Gina Goldblatt
M.E. McMullen
Sarah Sarai
POETRY
Aaron Poller
Purdey Kreiden
C. Derick Varn
NONFICTION
William Henderson
Henry F. Tonn
ART
Karl Wills
Eleanor Bennett
Carl Lozada
INTERVIEW
TINA MAY HALL
SUMMER 2011
FICTION
Avi Wrobel
Taryn Hook
San Rafi
Jennifer Fenn
Robert J. Miller
Susan Dale
John Staley
William J. Fedigan
Alice Charles
