INDIANA VOICE JOURNAL DECEMBER 2014 ISSUE 5

Welcome to the December 2014 Issue of IVJ!

The stories, poems and artwork wrapped in this issue spill out into warmth, humor, joy, and love. Small gifts we were delighted to find in our inbox. We present them here for your enjoyment. Feel free to open, read, and share with your friends and families. I hope you enjoy the features and don't forget to leave a small gift in return. A few ideas:

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Thank you, God Bless, and Merry Christmas from Indiana Voice Journal!

FEATURES:

POETRY

Poetry By Bruce Owens

Poetry By Tom Sheehan

Poetry By Oliver Rice

Poetry By Simon Perchik

Poetry By Atri Majumder

Poetry By James Maxwell

Poetry and Artwork By Heather Rose

FLASH FICTION
Jennifer Lachenauer: "Memory"

Eric Hill: "Stewed Prunes"

FICTION

Carroll Susco: "The Tree"
Tom Sheehan: "The Bill Collector"
Raymond Greiner: "Myrna's Story"
J. Michael Dashiell: "3 Seconds"
Muhammad Nasrullah Khan: "The Lady of Red Light District"

CREATIVE NONFICTION/ESSAYS

John Spiegel: "Like Dad"

Donna Downs: "You Old, Grandma?"
Stephen Mead: "Impressions from the Land Of Vanished Beautiful Things (1)"
Lance Turner: "They're Not Like Ours"

POETRY BY BRUCE OWENS

Bruce Owens has been writing poetry for 50 years.
One of his poems appeared in the Robinson Jeffers Newsletter (No. 93 & 94, Winter & Spring) in tribute to friend, and fellow poet William Everson. He has been a guest lecturer at various colleges in California, lecturing on the nature of the creative process, and he has conducted poetry workshops, mainly with young adults, especially those struggling with various addictions or having come from an abusive household, using poetry as an instrument of discovery for both self, and as an entry into the world around us. His collection of poems: Eddies in the Rush (ISBN 0-971256-0-0 [149 pg.]) was endorsed b C.C. Bailey and poet William Stafford (1914-1993) a "National Book Award recipient."
You can read/purchase more of Bruce's poetry at the following links: 
http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009502667

Catalog Record: A passage through stone : poems | Hathi Trust Digital Library

http://www.solopublications.com/jurn0204.htm
http://itsaboutimewriters.homestead.com/OwensBruceGiveMeAPoem.html

http://www.alibris.com/Eddies-in-The-Rush/book/-97125650

http://www.biblio.com/booksearch/author/bruce-owens/title/a-passage-through-stone/order/priceasc

POETRY BY TOM SHEEHAN

Sheehan served in the 31^st Infantry Regiment, Korea 1951, graduated from Boston College in 1956,  has 26 Pushcart nominations, authored 18 books ( 5 published this year, one mss complete) , appeared in hundreds of Internet sites and publications  around the world, and read at colleges, libraries,  book stores and Open Mic settings from Massachusetts to North Carolina.
Tom is a frequent contributor to IVJ. You can read more of his poetry in the October and November issues.  His books are available at Pocol Press. You can read more of Tom's poetry in the October and November Issues of Indiana Voice Journal.

POETRY BY OLIVER RICE

Oliver Rice’s poems appear widely in journals and anthologies in the United States and abroad. Creekwalker released an interview with him in January, 2010. His book of poems, On Consenting to Be a Man, is published by Cyberwit and is available on Amazon. His online chapbook, Afterthoughts, Siestas, and his recording of his Institute for Higher Study appeared in Mudlark in December, 2010.

                   

THE AWE, THE LURE

The awe, the lure, this morning, is not of the old town,

nestling by the Danube, the remains of Roman walls,

palatial spires of medieval merchants, the dark alleys,

POETRY BY ATRI MAJUMDER

Atri Majumder (born 1993) resides at Kolkata, India. He is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in English Literature from University of Calcutta.He has two published anthologies-Shadow of Light(2012) and Visible Infinity(2014).

POETRY BY SIMON PERCHIK

Simon Perchik is an attorney whose poems have appeared in Partisan Review, The Nation, Poetry, The New Yorker, and elsewhere. His most recent collection is  Almost Rain, published by River Otter Press (2013). For more information, free e-books and his essay titled “Magic, Illusion and Other Realities” please visit his website at  
www.simonperchik.com

POETRY BY JAMES MAXWELL

James Maxwell resides in Blauvelt, NY of Rockland County. He makes a living as a special education teaching assistant during the day and writes in the evenings. James has been writing for a little over ten years but has only recently started submitting his stories and poetry for publication. His work has been featured in Cease, Cows, Walking Is Honest, and the Ijagun Poetry Journal."

POETRY AND ARTWORK BY HEATHER ROSE

Heather Rose lives in a small mountain town in Colorado with her three kids and guitar-playing husband.  She collects lots of little thoughts about living in a big world in her blog Words Whittle Down and is currently writing and illustrating a children's fantasy series called Knindrome.  Her poem, Opal Lake was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. You can read more of Heather's poetry in the October Special Poetry Issue of IVJ.

FLASH FICTION BY ERIC HILL "STEWED PRUNES"

 

Eric Hill is fascinated with word structure from Kabala to etymology and then placing words together to form sound, color, rhythm and content; poetry becomes central focus of this interest - words magically charged.

Recently he has been published in Rain/Disaster/Party Ijagun Poetry Journal and Behhutet.

FICTION BY TOM SHEEHAN "THE BILL COLLECTOR"

Sheehan served in the 31^st Infantry Regiment, Korea 1951, graduated from Boston College in 1956,  has 26 Pushcart nominations, authored 18 books ( 5 published this year, one mss complete) , appeared in hundreds of Internet sites and publications  around the world, and read at colleges, libraries,  book stores and Open Mic settings from Massachusetts to North Carolina. He is a frequent contributor to Indiana Voice Journal.

FICTION BY RAYMOND GREINER "MYRNA'S STORY"

Raymond Greiner's writings include short stories and essays published frequently in various literary journals and magazines:  Branches magazine, La Joie Journal, Literary Yard Journal, Nib Magazine, Canary Literary Journal, Bellesprit Magazine, Freedom Journal, Grace Notes Literary Magazine. His collection of fiction and nonfiction essays titled Hinterland Journal is in the finalization process with Outskirts Press. Raymond lives in a remote area of southern Indiana in a cabin far off a lightly traveled road with his two dogs Orion and Venus. He is a frequent contributor to Indiana Voice Journal.

 Myrna’s Story

           Myrna Davis was born in 1950 and raised in an American mid western town.  A beautiful child genetically influenced from her mother, combining with her quick and agile mind.  Myrna was chosen homecoming queen in her high school senior year, savoring the honor and attention of this exciting event.  Myrna’s formative years bore the hallmark of a living, Victorian valentine.

FICTION BY MUHAMMAD NASRULLAH KHAN "THE LADY OF REDLIGHT DISTRICT"

Muhammad Nasrullah Khan is from Pakistan currently living in Saudi Arabia, where he is Lecturer in English at Taif University. His short stories are well recognized internationally for his unique prose style, and really naive innocence of rural life of Pakistan. His short story Donkey-Man was selected among the Notable Online Short Stories of 2003 in the StorySouth Million Writers Award. His work has appeared in Newtopia Magazine, Gowanus Books,Offcourse literary Journal University at Albany, The Raven Chronicles, and many others. He exists on twitter as @nasar_peace ,at  nasar_peace@hotmail.com, nasar_peace@yahoo.com,  and https://www.facebook.com/nasar.peace 

THE LADY OF RED LIGHT DISTRICT

Ahmad rushed toward the newspaper office, trying to avoid the stinging, dust-filled wind that seemed getting stronger with every step. It was a brief walk from the parking lot. By the time he reached the office, the other staff journalists, two women and five men, were already tucked into their cubicles like caged rats. Their eyes glued to computer screens.

FICTION BY J. MICHAEL DASHIELL "3 SECONDS"

J. Michael Dashiell lives in central Indiana. He’s had ten short stories published that appeared in Down in the Dirt, Bending the Curve Anthology, Sugar Mule Literary Magazine, Defenestration, Word Riot, Projected Letters, Thieves Jargon, The Circle Magazine, The Blue Review & The New England Writers’ Network Magazine. 

Blog Address: http://romanticismunbound.blogspot.com/

3 Seconds

      My friend’s car laid mangled, a 1990 Pontiac Bonneville, beige colored, four-door model, with its left back end completely crushed, its back bumper twisted into a malicious grin, and what I supposed was the specter of gasoline dripping from its tank. Yet I suffered no injury, not even a broken bone or bleeding wound, just what would later manifest itself as minor whiplash I suppose, without even a visible scratch or bruise to provide evidence of this mishap. The car was in effect destroyed for all practical use, yet I arose from it mysteriously renewed.

CREATIVE NONFICTION BY JOHN SPIEGEL "LIKE DAD"

John Spiegel is an English teacher in Springfield, Ohio where he shares his love for words, beards, and the feel of vinyl records.

  

Like Dad

            Growing up, my father was a source of fear. I tip-toed around him whenever he slept. Whenever we interrupted his sleep, he would jump and shout as he awoke. Too many nights I spent in silence, revering my father’s occasionally angry voice.

  

ESSAY BY DONNA DOWNS "YOU OLD, GRANDMA?"

  Donna Arthur Downs is an associate professor and co-chair of the Media Communication department at Taylor University. She has been full-time teaching various writing, public relations and media courses since 2001 and advises the award-winning student newspaper, The Echo. She is the mother of two faithful sons and the grandmother of two remarkable grandchildren. Downs graduated with an Ed.D from Ball State University.

 http://donnadowns.wix.com/donna

You old, Grandma?

Friday night as I lay beside my baby girl on the air mattress at the foot of the bed in her little room upstairs, deep in thought, she began picking at my hair with her thumb and index finger, pulling it up, letting it go, pulling it up, letting it go strand by strand.

ESSAY BY STEPHEN MEAD "IMPRESSIONS FROM THE LAND OF VANISHED BEAUTIFUL THINGS (1)

As a writer and artist publishing for the last three decades, Stephen Mead has finally gotten around to getting links to his poetry still online at various zines available in one place:  http://stephenmead.weebly.com/links-to/poetry-on-the-line-stephen-mead  His latest Amazon release  is entitled "Our Spirit Life”", a poetry/art meditation on family heritage, love,  and the evanescence of time.
http://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Mead/e/B002P5TVQC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0/178-9316259-8711759

 Impressions from the Land of Vanished Beautiful Things (I)

 In my mind's eye floats a photograph.  The photograph, in turn, is also the memory of an actual door.  This is how the mind can function as both microscope and telescope; moving in, drawing back, knobs turning lenses from blurriness to magnified clarity.  Writing this makes the whole business sound detached.  Would it be too sentimental, but also more accurate, to say that this invisible mechanism exists in my heart, the entire DNA and cells of my being?

CREATIVE NONFICTION BY LANCE TURNER "THEY'RE NOT LIKE OURS"

Lance Turner is a writer living in Kansas. He has had work appear in The Pierian and Touchstone. He currently works as a lecturer at the University of Kansas.

Previous publications include:

“Regression Therapy” (short story). The Pierian, Albany State University’s Department of English, Modern Languages and Mass Communication’s Literary Journal. Spring 2013: 70-73.

“Detour Ahead” (personal essay). Touchstone, Kansas State University’s Department of English’s Literary Journal. Spring 2007: 41–47.

They're Not Like Ours

Bread of the Dead

FICTION BY CARROLL SUSCO "THE TREE"

Carroll Susco holds an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh and has numerous publications.  She currently teaches comp.  Her chapbook True Fiction A Pseudo Autobiographical Chapbook in Three Parts is available for free at Smashwords.com
http://about.me/casusco

"The Tree"

I asked Dennis if we could get the Christmas tree, but he said he was busy.   I said I knew he was busy.  He said he had to study.  I said I knew that.  It was too early.  But didn’t he want to get one?  But why did I have to have one now?   When then?  Didn’t I understand the pressure he was under?  He had to read for class.

FLASH FICTION BY JENNIFER LACHENAUER "MEMORY"

Jennifer Lachenauer received a bachelor's degree in English from Kean University where she earned an academic award for excellence in essay writing for her capstone course. While actively involved in various forms of writing, her particular passion is short fiction because of how it combines the snap-shot like quality of a photograph with the written word.