INDIANA VOICE JOURNAL APRIL 2015 ISSUE #9

"RED" BY JUNIOR MCLEAN

HAPPY EASTER/PASSOVER WEEKEND!

Blood. Red. Moon. Eternity. Broken Hearts. Infected Hearts. Alien Hearts. Jesus. Joan Of Arc. Sinners and Saints. Life. Death. Love. Waiting To Die. Already Dead. Ghosts....The blood seems to be crying out from the page in this issue!

A huge thanks to all you talented, poetic artists for the "heart" and dedication you put into your creative work. It truly makes my job a joy! There are thirty wonderful features included this month.

A special thank you to Junior Mclean for the use of his visual artwork "RED" for our cover art this month.

~FEATURED CONTENT~

(QUICK LINKS TO FEATURED WORK)

POETRY

ABRAHAM OGEBE ADONDUWA:  "BROKEN HEART, CAREFREE"

MICHAEL BROWNSTEIN: "GHOSTS, IN THE BEGINNING, GEOMETRY AND ITS PLACE IN A POEM"

JEFF BURT: "BLUE JEANS AS SPIRITUAL UTILITY, COAT, SHOES"

HOLLY DAY: "LOVERMAN,  FALLING, FLYING, TODAY, WAITING TO DIE, THE HORSE"

KEVIN HEATON: "JUBILEE, POLISHED STONES, PAUSING FOR RAINBOWS

MICHAEL LEE JOHNSON: "DEAD GREY WOLF SKINS, IF YOU FIND NO POEM, SCHIZOPHRENIA NIGHT, POSSUM SLIM, POEMS OF SINNERS AND SAINTS"

DANE KARNICK: "PLAYING WITH YESTERDAY, ONE-TRACK MIND, LAST GENERATION"

DONAL MAHONEY: "THE LOVELY  WOMEN OF MY LIFE, WIFE AFTER SHOWERING, WE'LL FEEL BETTER, DEARIE, NOT TO WORRY"

BRANDON MARLON: "COMMANDER OF THE FAITHLESS, A PEOPLE'S PRAYER, MAHDI IN THE HAMMAM"

SIMON PERCHIK: THREE POEMS

RICHARD PERRY: "RUBICON, DICHOTOMY"

SUDHA SRIVATSAN: "THE INCENSED MOON"

LISA MARIE STROHL: "INFECTED HEART"

CHRISTOPHER SUDA: "A YOUNG MAN STRUGGLES ACROSS FIFTY STATES, THE THIRD COMING, AFTER TURNING OLD"

GEORGE ZAMALEA: "BLACK WHITE, THE OLD U.S. 66, THE BLACK COFFEE FROM MRS. D"

CREATIVE NONFICTION/ESSAYS

SCOTT ARCHER JONES: LITERARY ESSAY "THE STREETS OF CROCODILES, THE CINNAMON SHOPS"

CHARLES E.J. MOULTON: HISTORICAL DOCUMENT "THE MRS. MARDORF SAGA"

 MADISON SCRUGGS: "A LETTER TO MYSELF AT 21"

ADREYO SEN: "SOCIAL CONTROL AND THE LIMINAL WOMAN"

SHORT FICTION/FLASH 

ANA DEBORAH F. DO CANTO: FLASH FICTION "NIGHTS"

DIANA CORBITT: "A LONG WEEKEND"

GWENDOLYN KISTE: "TINGO"

ANTHONY LA FLAME:  FLASH "BLUE SUNRISE"

KEN LELAND: "SHE AND I"

DONAL MAHONEY:  FLASH "A GATHERING OF GENERATIONS" 

SHASHANK MANE: "THE ARM REST"

JERRY MULLINS: "GIRLS NIGHT OUT"

RICHARD PERRY: "THE WOMAN ON THE TRAIN"

CARROLL SUSCO: FLASH  "JOAN OF ARC: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY"

MICHELLE VLATKOVIC "FAILING THE RORSCHACH TEST"

VISUAL ART

JUNIOR MCLEAN

~SCROLL DOWN TO BROWSE~

ABRAHAM OGEBE ADONDUWA: "BROKEN HEART, CAREFREE"

Abraham Ogebe Adonduwa is a writer of poetry and short stories and has been published in a few international literary journals and magazines, Origami and OntheRusk amongst them. He hopes to publish more poems and more stories about his beloved home Nigeria, and he also hopes to take out time to travel more, which is another thing he loves almost as much as writing.

MICHAEL BROWNSTEIN "GHOSTS, IN THE BEGINNING, GEOMETRY AND ITS PLACE IN A POEM"

GHOSTS 

I do not have a presence and she tells me she is a ghost.

Substance has that kind of weight.

You talk to the streams radiating from the edge of the river

as if each one were a snake that fat

and walk into an outer universe

to draw the night with color,

quick and simple,

exactly like life and everything else in this world.

JEFF BURT "BLUE JEANS AS SPIRITUAL UTILITY, COAT, SHOES"

Jeff Burt lives in Santa Cruz County, California.  He has work in The Cortland Review, Windfall, eclectica, Blue Hour, and others.

He won the 2011 SuRaa short fiction award.

HOLLY DAY: "LOVERMAN, FALLING, FLYING, TODAY, WAITING TO DIE, THE HORSE"

Holly Day was born in Hereford, Texas, “The Town Without a Toothache.” She and her family currently live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she teaches writing classes at the Loft Literary Center. Her published books include the nonfiction books Music Theory for Dummies, Music Composition for Dummies, Guitar All-in-One for Dummies, Piano All-in-One for Dummies, A Brief History of Nordeast Minneapolis; the poetry books Late-Night Reading for Hardworking Construction Men (The Moon Publishing) and The Smell of Snow (ELJ Publications); and a novel, The Book Of (Damnation Books).Her needlepoints and beadwork have recently appeared on the covers of The Grey Sparrow Journal, QWERTY Magazine, and Kiki Magazine.

KEVIN HEATON: "JUBILEE, POLISHED STONES, PAUSING FOR RAINBOWS"

Kevin Heaton is originally from Kansas and Oklahoma, and now lives and writes in South Carolina. His work has appeared in a number of publications including: Guernica, Rattle, Raleigh Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, The Adroit Journal, and The Monarch Review. He is a Best of the Net, Best New Poets, and three-time Pushcart Prize nominee.

 http://kevinheatonpoetry.webstarts.com/

MICHAEL LEE JOHNSON: "DEAD GREY WOLF SKINS, IF YOU FIND NO POEM, SCHIZOPHRENIA NIGHT, POSSUM SLIM, POEMS OF SINNERS AND SAINTS"

Michael Lee Johnson lived ten years in Canada during the Vietnam era:  now known as the Illinois poet, from Itasca, IL.  Today he is a poet, freelance writer, photographer who experiments with poetography (blending poetry with photography), and small business owner in Itasca, Illinois, who has been published in more than 875 small press magazines in 27 countries, he edits 9 poetry sites.  Michael is the author of The Lost American:  "From Exile to Freedom", several chapbooks of poetry, including "From Which Place the Morning Rises" and "Challenge of Night and Day", and "Chicago Poems".  He also has over 71 poetry videos on YouTube.

DANE KARNICK: "PLAYING WITH YESTERDAY, ONE-TRACK MIND, LAST GENERATION"

Dane Karnick grew up by the Colorado “Rockies” and lives near Seattle.  His poetry recently appeared in Pacifica Review, Hawaii Pacific Review, Poppy Road Review, and Alba.  Visit him at www.danekarnick.com.

DONAL MAHONEY: "THE LOVELY WOMEN OF MY LIFE, WIFE AFTER SHOWERING, WE'LL FEEL BETTER, DEARIE, NOT TO WORRY"

Nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize, Donal Mahoney has had work published in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his earliest work can be found at http://booksonblog12.blogspot.com/.

BRANDON MARLON: "COMMANDER OF THE FAITHLESS, A PEOPLE'S PRAYER, MAHDI IN THE HAMMAM"

Brandon Marlon is a writer from Ottawa, Canada. He received his B.A. (Hon.) in Drama and English from the University of Toronto and his M.A. in English from the University of Victoria. His poetry has been published variously in Canada, USA, England, Greece, Romania, Israel, and India. www.brandonmarlon.com.

SIMON PERCHIK: THREE POEMS

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

RICHARD PERRY: "RUBICON, DICHOTOMY"

Born in Scotland and lived in Iran and London

RUBICON

You ask: was there grief on the veldt?

A leopard stalked us.

We saw it through the tall grass.

It charged.

We fled.

She tripped.

And fell.

I turned.

Its jaws closed upon her neck.

SUDHA SRIVATSAN: "THE INCENSED MOON"

 
Born and raised in India. Worked in Middle East and London. Daughter, wife and sister, aspiring to be known in the space of poetry as someone who weaves magic into language and combines unique design and strong color to her work of art.  

LISA MARIE STROHL: "INFECTED HEART"

Lisa is a new graduate from Purdue University Calumet with a BA in Arts (Spanish International Studies). She is just getting her life started and writing is something she loves to do.

 

www.linkedin.com/in/lisamariestrohl11

CHRISTOPHER SUDA: "A YOUNG MAN STRUGGLES ACROSS FIFTY STATES, THE THIRD COMING, AFTER TURNING OLD"

Christopher's poetry has been published in Digital Americana, Indian Review, Shot Glass Journal, Wilderness House Literary Review, and other literary journals. Christopher attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has just attended the A-I-R program at Byrdcliffe Artist Guild in Woodstock, NY.

GEORGE ZAMALEA: "BLACK WHITE, THE OLD U.S. 66, THE BLACK COFFEE FROM MRS. D"

George Zamalea graduated from La Habana University with degrees in Literature, Philosophy, & History. Immigrated to the world. Lived in Spain, France, Italy, and Brazil. Received a recipient of Creative Writing & Language & BA in USA. Awards: First place of the 2011 International Latino Book Awards in the category of Best Spiritual / New Age book in English with the Six Seasonal Amendments, A Hispanic Inspiration.  Nominated third and fourth place in 2012 and 2013 respectively from the International Latino Book Awards in the short story titled “I” and a novel titled “Flowery of Evil”.  Members: Academy of American Poets, Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, Writing & Nonsense Club and American Hispanic in Journalism. Publications and literary journals: The Screech Owl, Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal, Spectrum, The Flesh Lit, Indiana Voice Journal, Ink Dot,  Vasasvada,The Front Porch Publication. His credits novels, mysteries, nonfiction and poetry. Lives in Rosamond, California.

LITERARY ESSAY BY SCOTT ARCHER JONES: "THE STREETS OF CROCODILES, THE CINNAMON SHOPS"

I currently live in northern New Mexico, after stints in Louisiana, Texas, the Netherlands, Scotland and Norway. I'm on the masthead at the Prague Revue. I launched a novel last year with Southern Yellow Pine, Jupiter and Gilgamesh, a Novel of Sumeria and Texas. I was a finalist in the 2014 New Mexico-Arizona Book awards in four categories.

I've been a finalist a few places but never a winner. I've published here and there but received enough rejection to achieve humbleness. That publication list is dull but available – what is more important is that I cut and split all my own firewood, live a mile from my nearest neighbor, and write grants for the community. ~Scott Archer Jones

CHARLES E.J. MOULTON: HISTORICAL DOCUMENT "THE MRS. MARDORF SAGA"

Previously published pieces of mine have been published in Skirmish, Socrates, Aphelion, The Woven Tale Press, Idea Gems, SNM Magazine, TWJ Magazine, Shadows Express, 365 Tomorrows, Shadows Express, Redhead Magazine, Aquarius Atlanta, Vocal Images, Cover of Darkness and CLR India. I am the Chorus Master of a Chorus in Germany, a big band vocalist, an operatic baritone and an exhibited artistic painter.
 

Homepages: http://www.reverbnation.com/charlesejmoulton/ 

http://about.me/cmoulton

MADISON SCRUGGS: "A LETTER TO MYSELF AT 21"

 I am currently a senior at Colorado State University double majoring in Communication Studies and English.  Currently, I also work at a local radio station— 99.9 The Point— as an on-air radio personality.  I love telling stories about real people with more interesting lives than me (ha- but who doesn’t love reading that?)  I hope you enjoy my work! ~Madison Scruggs

Here is my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/lifewithmadi

ADREYO SEN: "SOCIAL CONTROL AND THE LIMINAL WOMAN"

Adreyo Sen resides in Kolkata, India.  He is pursuing his MFA at Stony Brook, Southampton. He has been published in Danse Macabre, Kritya and Garbanzo. 

You can read more of his work in the January 2015 issue of Indiana Voice Journal.

ANA DEBORAH F. DO CANTO: FLASH FICTION "NIGHTS"

Ana Déborah F. do Canto is a 21 years old college student from Brazil.

NIGHTS

“Shhhh!” she said. Her eyes shined in the darkness of the bedroom and I laughed even more.

She put her hand over my mouth. Our eyes met, she smiled and whispered:

“Will you be quiet if I tell you a story?”

DIANA CORBITT: "A LONG WEEKEND"

Diana Corbitt is a retired elementary school teacher who has lived her entire life in northern California. She has two sons who, although grown up and out of the house, still live nearby. Besides writing, Diana enjoys creating stained glass windows and lamps, travel, and eating popcorn at the movies.

FICTION BY GWENDOLYN KISTE: "TINGO"

Gwendolyn Kiste is a horror and fantasy writer based in Pennsylvania. Her fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous publications including Sirens Call, Danse Macabre, Dark Fire Fiction, 99 Pine Street, and Saturday Night Reader.

ANTHONY LA FLAME: FLASH "BLUE SUNRISE"

Anthony La Flame is a short story fiction writer who is currently studying for his B.A. in English, His first short story has appeared in Fictionmagazines: Under the Bed. Some of his works in-progress projects include flash fiction and short story pieces. Born in Washington State, he currently resides in Pennsylvania.

KEN LELAND: "SHE AND I"

The author’s first novel was published by Fireship Press in the spring of 2013, entitled 1812 The Land Between Flowing Waters. The author has published two short stories with Inwood Indiana and a third is forthcoming in 2015. The author grew up in Marshall County, Indiana, and as a young man, attended Indiana University.

 She and I, previously published by Inwood Indiana Press in their 2013 summer anthology entitled, Salem Cemetery.

 www.kenlelandauthor.com
  

DONAL MAHONEY: FLASH "A GATHERING OF GENERATIONS"

Nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize, Donal Mahoney has had work published in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his earliest work can be found at http://booksonblog12.blogspot.com/

SHASHANK MANE: "THE ARM REST"

Shashank firmly believes that written word is at the essence of human communication and evolution. He hopes that you will enjoy reading his stories as much as he has enjoyed writing them.

 

JERRY MULLINS: "GIRLS NIGHT OUT"

 

Jerry Mullins grew up in central West Virginia, and has lived in the Washington, DC suburbs in recent years. His work has recently been published in or is forthcoming from Columbia University Journal-Catch and Release, Wilderness House Literary Review, The Broadkill Review, Tower Journal, Newfound Journal, and internationally in Nazar-Look (Romania) and Southern Cross Review (Argentina).

RICHARD PERRY: "THE WOMAN ON THE TRAIN"

Born in Scotland and lived in Iran and London.

The Woman On The Train

Underground!

    In a tube within a tube, people sped through the dark, oblivious to the traffic and the weather on the surface.  In the rush hour, if the system was functioning properly, trains followed each other in quick succession, one pulling out of a station as the next pulled in, each packed with passengers, disgorging then embarking, transporting them in swaying, rattling discomfort, to and from work and home.

CARROLL SUSCO: FLASH "JOAN OF ARC: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY"

Carroll Ann Susco holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Pittsburgh and numerous publications including three essays in The Sun Magazine.  She writes and teaches in Alexandria, VA.  Her chapbook: True Fiction: A Pseudo Autobiographical Chapbook in Three Parts is available at Smashwords.com

You can read more of Carroll's work in the December 2014 issue of IVJ.


 

MICHELLE VLATKOVIC "FAILING THE RORSCHACH TEST"

Michelle works as a researcher and document writer for an Indigenous not for profit in Brisbane. She writes fiction and is one of a team of digital creatives at readspace.com.au 

VISUAL ART BY JUNIOR MCLEAN

Junior Mclean has been a digital artist for 10 years.  He has freelanced as a cover artist and a graphic designer creating
postcards, greeting cards and book covers. His work has been featured in European magazines. He is a Bronx native, for a time lived in Anderson, Indiana and back, current freelance digital artist and graphic designer since 1996 and a digital cover “2D/3D” artist for Gaming, Fantasy, Sci-Fi; and fractals which have been used for public exhibitions and more.