December 3, 2016

Tiergarten in Winter by Lesser Ury 1892

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Indiana Voice Journal! We hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Holiday Season. We have combined the December and January issues to ensure our staff gets to spend some quality time with their families during this season of miraculous possibilities. Light the fire, grab some coffee, and enjoy the fantastic poems and stories in this special issue of IVJ.

POETRY

Three Poems by Prerna Bakshi: "Buried in the Snow in Kashmir," "The Ethical Dilemma: Kids and Santa Claus," and "The Water Divide"
Three Poems by John Grey: "A Traveler on a Stormy Night," "Goodnight," and "This Grip on Me"
A Poem by Dr. Mel Waldman: "The Phone Always Rings"
A Poem by KJ Carter: "The Sacred Fragrance"
Three Poems by Jenny Kalahar: "The Yeti's Christmas," "Christmas Is," and "A Child's Christmas Cookbook"
Three Poems by Daya Bhat: "Hegemony," "Identity," and "Kanakambika"
Three Poems by JD DeHart: "Saucers," "Sharkskin," and "Prescriptions"
Three Poems by Stefanie Bennett: "The Rose Window," "Forger,' and "Lucidity"
Three poems by Doreen Joy Graham: "January Blizzards," "My Cat Named January," and "January Snowflakes Glisten"
Three Poems by Donal Mahoney: "Another Christmas Alone," "A Different New Year's Eve," and "Two Coots on New Year's Eve"
Two Poems by David Allen: "Year's End on Okinawa," and "No Christmas Tree"
Two Poems by Lynda McKinney Lambert: "Pantoum to Winter" and "Christmas Scentiments" 
Three Poems by Julie Petersen: "Writer's Strife," "Wishes of Forever," and "Dreamer's Message"
A Poem by Daginne Aignend: "A Murder in my Street"
Three Poems by Michael Lee Johnson: "Solo Boxing," "Hazy Arizona Sky," and "Lion in my Heart"
Three Poems by Andrew Harmon: "Dreams in the Cold," "Sherpa House -- Golden, Colorado," and "Spokey Dokey"
A Poem by Sherry Howard: "Silver and Gold"


CNF/ESSAY

CNF/Essay by Donal Mahoney: "A Not-Too-Jolly Santa Claus"
CNF/Essay by Raymond Greiner: "The Best Christmas"
CNF/Essay by Kelly J. Stigliano: "Christmas Clash"
CNF/Memoir by Harry Youtt: "A Child's Christmas in Midwest Ohio"

FICTION

Fiction by Paisley Kauffmann: "Delicate Tissue"
Fiction by Nancy Lane: "Driven Snow"
Fiction by Donal Mahoney: "What If Mary Had Chosen Otherwise"

A Video Greeting From Charles EJ Moulton/The Creativity Webzine

Prerna Bakshi is a writer, poet and activist of Indian origin, currently based in Macao. She is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and the author of the recently released full-length poetry collection, Burnt Rotis, With Love, which was long-listed for the 2015 Erbacce-Press Poetry Award in the UK and cited as one of the ‘9 Poetry Collections That Will Change The Way You See The World’ by Bustle in the US. Her work has been published widely, most recently in The Ofi Press, Red Wedge Magazine, TRIVIA: Voices of Feminism and Prachya Review: Literature & Art Without Borders, as well as anthologized in several collections. More here: http://prernabakshi.strikingly.com/

John Grey is an Australian poet who lives in the U.S. He has been published in New Plains Review, Stillwater Review and Big Muddy Review, with work upcoming in Louisiana Review, Cape Rock and Spoon River Poetry Review.

Dr. Mel Waldman is a psychologist, poet, and writer whose stories have appeared in numerous magazines including Indiana Voice Journal, Liquid Imagination, The Brooklyn Literary Review, and others. He is a past winner of the literary Grandiva Award in Psychoanalysis and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He is the author of 11 books.

KJ Carter (Kathy Jo) is a nurse educator, musician, and writer from Central Indiana. She is also a member of the Indiana State Poetry Association and Last Stanza Poets. Previous works were published in the July issue of IVJ and in the Poets of Madison County Anthology. She credits her family and pets as her “Muse”’

Jenny Kalahar is the author of three novels and a collection of poetry, One Mile North of Normal and Other Poems. Jenny helms the Last Stanza Poetry Association in Elwood, Indiana and is treasurer for the Indiana State Federation of Poetry Clubs. Her humor column, “A Twist in the Tale,” is published twice monthly in Tails Magazine. Jenny is a used & rare bookseller with her husband, Patrick, from their old schoolhouse home in Elwood, Indiana.

Daya Bhat, from Bengaluru Karnataka, writes poetry and short fiction. She has published her first book of poems with the Writers Workshop (India) in 2013. Her poetry and short fiction have appeared in Kitaab, Off the Coast, New Asian Writing, The Tribe, The Bangalore Review and Earthen Lamp Journal among others.

JD DeHart is a writer and teacher. His chapbook, The Truth About Snails, is available on Amazon. These poems have appeared previously at Leaves of Ink.

Stefanie Bennett has published several books of poetry and had poems appear in Dead Snakes, The Fib Review, IS&T, The Galway Review, Snow Monkey, Shot Glass Journal, Communion, Snorkel, and others. Of mixed ancestry [Irish/Italian/Paugussett-Shawnee] she was born in Queensland, Australia. Stefanie’s latest collection “The Vanishing” is published by Walleah Press and available from Walleah and Amazon.

Doreen Joy Graham of Calgary, Alberta, Canada is an award winning poet who enjoys writing in traditional form poetry with metered lines and rhymes. She has written three fiction novels two of them are self published and available at Amazon.com. She is a mother and grandmother who enjoys writing about the simple joys of life. When trekking through tough times, her motto is to get better, not bitter. She’s always looking to brighten somebody’s day with her writing.

David Allen is a retired journalist who spent 17 years as the Okinawa News Bureau Chief for Stars and Stripes, the daily newspaper for the American military community overseas. He is the Poetry Editor of Indiana Voice Journal and vice president of the PoetrySociety of Indiana. He has been published in numerous journals and has two books of poetry, “The Story so Far” and “(more),” both available through Amazon.com.

Donal Mahoney has worked as an editor for Loyola University Press, The Chicago Sun-Times, and the Center for the Study of American Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Retired now, he keeps busy writing poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Some of his work can be found at http://eyeonlifemag.com/the-poetry-locksmith/donal-mahoney-poet.html#sthash.OSYzpgmQ.dpbs=

Lynda McKinney Lambert writes Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction Essays.
Her book, “Concerti: Psalms for the Pilgrimage,” was published by Kota Press and is available on Amazon. Her work has appeared in literary magazines, newspapers, academic books and journals since 1985. She is a retired professor of fine arts and humanities from Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA. Currently, Lynda has 3 books in development for publication in 2017.

Julie Petersen lives in Colorado where she has worked as a database professional for over 10 years while pursuing technical writing to give life to her desire to write. Her passion for writing and poetry started as a young adult after high school when she published her first poems in several anthologies. After returning to writing poetry over a year ago, Julie is an active poet on social media poetry groups and is included with many other contemporary poets in the top selling anthology titled "Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze: (Contemporary Poetry By New and Experienced Poets)".

Daginne Aignend is a pseudonym for the Dutch poetess Inge Wesdijk. She started to write poems in English four years ago and has been published in severl online magazines. She likes hard rock music, photography and fantasy books. Daginne is a vegetarian and spends a lot of time with her animals.

Michael Lee Johnson lived ten years in Canada during the Vietnam era. He is a Canadian and USA citizen. Today he is a poet, editor, publisher, freelance writer, amateur photographer, small business owner in Itasca, Illinois. He has been published in more than 915 small press magazines in 27 countries, and he edits 10 poetry sites. Author's website http://poetryman.mysite.com/. He was nominated for two Pushcart Prize awards for poetry in 2015 and Best of the Net 2016.

Andrew Harmon was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He received his B.A. in Creative Writing from IUPUI.  He has worked in warehouses and hotels, fast food and retail. He says, "Throughout this all, I’ve stowed away snippets of imagery which has found itself emerging in the uneven lines of these poems." His book, “Human Hearts. Human Heads,” is available on Amazon.

Sherry Howard lives in Kentucky in a house full of people and dogs. She enjoys writing prose and poetry. She says she's "an educator by trade, and a writer by choice. I like to say that our busy household is two dancing bears short of a circus, but I still find time to write."

Harry Youtt is a frequently published poet and writer of short fiction, twice nominated for Pushcart prizes. He is the author of several poetry collections and chapbooks. He is also a long-time instructor in the UCLA Ext. Writers’ Program, where he teaches courses and workshops in fiction writing, poetry and memoir.

Kelly J. Stigliano has been a speaker and writer for over 25 years. She and her husband, Jerry enjoy life in Orange Park, FL. A blended family, they have five grown children, and two granddaughters, none of whom live in Florida! To learn more about Kelly, log onto www.kellystigliano.com.

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 latest book, "Queenie; a novella" is available on Amazon. 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.  

Donal Mahoney, a native of Chicago, lives in St. Louis, Missouri. His fiction and poetry have appeared in various publications, including The Wisconsin Review, The Kansas Quarterly, The South Carolina Review, The Christian Science Monitor, The Chicago Tribune and  Commonweal.  Some of his work can be found at http://eyeonlifemag.com/the-poetry-locksmith/donal-mahoney-poet.html#sthash.OSYzpgmQ.dpbs=

Paisley Kauffmann lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Life provides millions of bits and pieces to stitch together into stories. Her short stories have been published in The Talking Stick, The Birds We Piled Loosely, and The Writing Disorder. She writes with one of two pugs in her lap and receives gracious feedback from her husband. The Loft Literary Center, the Minnesota writing community, and her writing group support and fuel her motivation.


Nancy Lane, a member of Willamette Writers, lives with her husband and their dog in Beaverton, Oregon. Nancy graduated from UCLA and worked many years in the aerospace industry, until retiring. Her short stories have appeared in Indiana Voice Journal, Bewildering Stories, Scarlet Leaf Review and Fiction on the Web. Her essays have appeared in Indiana Voice Journal and the AARP Bulletin. Nancy is currently working on a collection of short stories with positive themes.

Donal Mahoney, a native of Chicago, lives in St. Louis, Missouri. His fiction and poetry have appeared in various publications, including The Wisconsin Review, The Kansas Quarterly, The South Carolina Review, The Christian Science Monitor, The Chicago Tribune and  Commonweal.  Some of his work can be found at http://eyeonlifemag.com/the-poetry-locksmith/donal-mahoney-poet.html#sthash.OSYzpgmQ.dpbs=




November 3, 2016



Fall has always been a major source of inspiration for me.  Maybe it's the crisp air, the smell of burning leaves, or all the vibrant colors.  More likely it's all of the above, but I find myself writing a lot more and spending as much time as possible outdoors by a crackling fire. It's truly my favorite time of the year.  It's too bad this precious window of time lasts only a couple of weeks before the frost and snowflakes begin to appear.  Actually, around here it's not terribly uncommon to have already seen a light dusting.  Pretty soon we'll be staring out the windows at bare branches trying to figure out if the day's task is worth the suffering and risk of frostbite that leaving the house poses. November is also a time for giving thanks.  I am so thankful for my Indiana Voice Journal family, our contributors, and all our loyal readers each month.  You all are the reason we do what we do. We get some pretty wonderful  literary submissions and artwork.  Much like the amazing Autumn leaves- they're varied, unique, and full of vibrancy! This month is no less amazing (are we biased?!)  We have a great selection of poetry, fiction, artwork, and creative non-fiction. Lots of new faces as well!  Our featured artist is Bert Happel who not only has a nice feature in the issue, but his work also graces our cover.  Special thanks to Sandeep Kumar Mishra for the use of his artwork as well. Get outside and enjoy the crisp, fall air while it lasts, but I hope you’ll give the November issue a perusal.  I might mention also, that nothing feels better than a positive comment! Show your thanks by supporting our authors and artists with your kind words of encouragement.~Jennifer Criss, Art Editor


POETRY

A Poem by Andrew Hubbard: "Simple Pleasures"
A Poem by Milton Montague: "home in Indy-an-a"
A Poem by Vartika Srivastava: "Those Eyes are Watching You!"
Three Poems by Claudine Nash: "Bark Callus," "Warm Your One Sure Purpose," and "All Doors Day"
Haiku by Angel Edwards: "Day"
Four Poems by Blanca Alicia Garza: "Holding On," "Cherished Dreams," "Illuminated Reflections," and "The Forgotten"
Two Poems by Madu Chisom Kingdavid: "Without You (For a Beloved)" and "She Whispered Something (To an Egyptian Lady)"
Three Poems by Mark Danowsky: "Fray," "Needful," and "Seams"
Three poems by Steve Klepetar: "Summer's End, Traveling West," "The White Hour," and "Between the Lines"
Two Poems by Sanjeev Sethi: "Birthing" and "Tetrads"
A Poem by Robert Nisbet: "Stand in the Light, John"
Four Poems by Colin Dodds: "Rogues' Gallery," "The Survivor's Half-Meant Lament," "Unreliable Testimony," and "Peculiar Mirrors"
Seven Poems by Goirick Brahmachari: "Now that Winter," "An Ektara," "Love in 1970," "This Anger, this Wrath," "Numb," "The Other Side of the Hill," and "Nervous February."
Three Poems by G. Louis Heath: "A Shrill Cry on the Wind," " Love of Nothing," and "Lyrics Larder"
A Poem by Donna Arthur Downs: "Autumn Moments"
Three poems by Donal Mahoney: "Gardening in Autumn," "Seasons of the Year," and "Breakfast with Ted"
Two Poems by Richard Manly Heiman : "Someday We’ll Incarnate You in Porcelain" and "Family Album"
Three Poems by Joan McNerney: "Twelve Steps to Winter," "Winter Watch," and "Woods"


VISUAL ART

Photography feature by Bert Happel


CREATIVE NONFICTION/ESSAY

CNF/Essay by Donal Mahoney: "Long Before ISIS"
CNF/Essay by Frank Morelli: "An Open Letter To People Rocking Out in Cars"
CNF/Essay by Michael Marrotti: "Check Out My Blog: The Fallacy Of Contemporary Poetry"


FICTION

Fiction by Daniel Adler: "Confluence"
Fiction by N.D. Coley: "The Pumpkin Hatch"
Flash Fiction by A.S. Coomer: "The Yard Sale"
Flash Fiction by Rosanne Trost: "Monster"
Fiction by Harlan Yarbrough: "The Big Bang Theory"
Fiction by Richard Krause: "Hamid, the Water Carrier"
Fiction by Andra Land: "Field of Lavender"
Fiction by Pat Tyrer: "Mrs. Bash's Predictions"
Fiction by Andrea Cox Christen: "Keepers of the Lot"
Fiction by Adam Matson: "Sertraline Dreams"

Andrew Hubbard recently moved back to Indiana after ten years in Houston, Texas.  He has had five books published, including, most recently, his first book of poetry, "Things That Get You," which was produced by Interactive Press. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2015.

 Milton Montague, was born in new York in 1924. He survived the Great Depression, school, and World W II, He fell in love, married, raised three wonderful daughters, and retired. He discovered poetry at 86. Now, at 90 plus years, he has 103 poems published in 29 different magazines, including Indiana Voice Journal.

Vartika Srivastava lives in Punjab, India. She is fond of literature and is pursuing her Master of Philosophy in the field of Comparative Literature. Her stories and poems have appeared in many online journals. She is a travel enthusiast and has already lived in almost four different states in India. Her works focus on psychological realism, tracing the inner realities of the character.

Claudine Nash’s collections include her full-length poetry book Parts per Trillion (Aldrich Press, 2016) and her chapbook The Problem with Loving Ghosts (Finishing Line Press, 2014). She also recently edited the collection In So Many Words: Interviews and Poetry from Today’s Poets (Madness Muse Press, 2016) with Adam Levon Brown. Her poems have won numerous literary prizes and have appeared in such publications as Asimov’s Science Fiction, Cloudbank, Haight Ashbury Literary Journal and Yellow Chair Review. She has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is a practicing psychologist. Website: www.claudinenashpoetry.com.

 Angel Edwards, a member of SOCAN, BMI and VMA owns a small music publishing company. A dozen of her songs are published by Saddlestone Publishing. She currently performs as a solo acoustic electric singer songwriter guitarist. Her poems have been published in numerous magazines and journals. Angel is preparing her first book of poetry and short stories and has one completed fantasy novella. She is seeking a publisher for her works. http://www.reverbnation.com/angeledwards


Blanca Alicia Garza is from Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a nature and animal lover who enjoys spending time writing. Her poems have been been published in the Poetry Anthology, "Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze," available at Amazon.com. Her poems can also be found at The Poet Community, Whispers in the Wind,  Winamop Journal, Indiana Voice Journal, Tuck Magazine, Scarlet Leaf Review, and Birdsong Anthology 2016, Vol 1.

Madu Chisom Kingdavid is a Nigerian Poet and Writer. His works have been published in Expound, Kalahari Review, Africawriter, Pulse.ng, Penmind Media and Creativity, Coalng, afrikrayons, and elsewhere. He won the 2013 edition of the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize.

Mark Danowsky’s poetry has appeared in About Place, Allegro, Beechwood Review, The Broadkill Review, Cordite, Elohi Gadugi, Grey Sparrow, and elsewhere. His mini-chapbook, NIGHTFALLEN, was published by Origami Poems Project in 2016. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Mark currently resides in North-Central West Virginia. He works for a private detective agency and is Managing Editor for the Schuylkill Valley Journal.

Steve Klepetar’s work has appeared widely. His poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Recent collections include My Son Writes a Report on the Warsaw Ghetto and The Li Bo Poems, both from Flutter Press, and Family Reunion, forthcoming from Big Table Publishing.

Sanjeev Sethi is the author of three well-received books of poetry. His most recent collection is This Summer and That Summer (Bloomsbury, 2015). His poems are in venues around the world: Off the Coast, Drunk Monkeys, The Bitchin’ Kitsch, The Beatnik Cowboy, and elsewhere. He lives in Mumbai, India.

Robert Nisbet is a Welsh poet who has been published widely in Great Britain and in the USA in  the San Pedro River Review, Clementine Unbound, Red River Review, Constellations and elsewhere. He has one chapbook, Merlin’s Lane (Prolebooks, 2011).

Colin Dodds is the author of  three books, Another Broken Wizard, WINDFALL and The Last Bad Job.  His writing has appeared in more than two hundred publications, and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net Anthology.  Colin’s book-length poem That Happy Captive was a finalist for the Trio House Press Louise Bogan Award as well as the 42 Miles Press Poetry Award in 2015. His his screenplay, Refreshment, was named a semi-finalist in the 2010 American Zoetrope Contest. Colin lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter. See more of his work at thecolindodds.com.

Goirick Brahmachari lives in Delhi, India, He hails from Silchar, Assam. His first collection of poems ‘For the love of Pork’ have recently been published from Les Editions du Zaporogue, Denmark.

G. Louis Heath, Ph.D., Berkeley, 1969, is Emeritus Professor, Ashford University, Clinton, Iowa. He enjoys reading his poems at open mics. He often hikes along the Mississippi River, stopping to work on a poem he pulls from his back pocket, weather permitting. His books include Leaves Of Maple: An Illinois State University Professor’s Memoir of Seven Summers’ Teaching in Canadian Universities, 1972-1978, Long Dark River Casino, and Redbird Prof: Poems Of A Normal U, 1969-1981. He has published poems in a wide array of journals.

Donna Arthur Downs is an associate professor and co-chair of the Communication department at Taylor University. She has taught 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

Donal Mahoney has worked as an editor for Loyola University Press, The Chicago Sun-Times, and the Center for the Study of American Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Retired now, he keeps busy writing poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Some of his work can be found at http://eyeonlifemag.com/the-poetry-locksmith/donal-mahoney-poet.html#sthash.OSYzpgmQ.dpbs=

Richard Manly Heiman lives on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada. He works as a substitute teacher, and writes when the kids are at recess. His work appears in Dappled Things, Bop Dead City, After the Pause, and elsewhere. His URL is www.poetrick.com

Joan McNerney’s poetry has been included in numerous literary magazines, such as Seven Circle Press, Dinner with the Muse, Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze, Blueline, and Halcyon Days. Three Bright Hills Press Anthologies, several Poppy Road Review Journals, and numerous Kind of A Hurricane Press Publications have accepted her work. Her latest title is Having Lunch with the Sky. She has four Best of the Net nominations.

Dr. Albert (Bert) Happel has been an optometrist in Madison County for the past 33 years.  During that time his primary hobby has been photography.  He is currently serving his second term as President of the Killbuck Photo Guild of Madison County.

I describe myself as an "Advanced Amateur" photographer.  My style is often Photodocumentary but I am drawn to capturing details and images with strong graphical elements.

More of my photos can be seen at the Killbuck Photo Guild gallery at: http://killbuckphoto.com/

Donal Mahoney has worked as an editor for The Chicago Sun-Times, Loyola University Press and Washington University in St. Louis. He has had work published in various publications, including The Wisconsin Review, The Kansas Quarterly, The South Carolina Review, The Christian Science Monitor, The Beloit Poetry Journal, Commonweal, The National Catholic Reporter and other magazines. Some of his online work can be found at http://eyeonlifemag.com/the-poetry-locksmith/donal-mahoney-poet.html#sthash.OSYzpgmQ.dpbs=

Frank Morelli plucked his roots from the cozy, northern soil and buried them in the sun-baked clays of the Carolinas. His work has appeared in Cobalt, Rind, Philadelphia Stories, Jersey Devil Press, Change Seven, and the East Coast Literary Review.

Michael Marrotti is an author from Pittsburgh, using words instead of violence to mitigate the suffering of life in a callous world of redundancy. His primary goal is to help other people. He considers poetry to be a form of philanthropy. When he's not writing, he's volunteering at the Light Of Life homeless shelter on a weekly basis. If you appreciate the man's work, please check out his book, F.D.A. Approved Poetry, available at Amazon.

Daniel Adler has traveled widely and is writing a novel about rivers. He can be found onTwitter: http://twitter.com/DanielRyanAdler

N.D. Coley currently serves as an instructor of English composition at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Community College of Allegheny County, and the University of Phoenix. He was trained at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg as a literature major (2005), with a minor in writing. He furthered his studies at the University of Pittsburgh, earning an MA in English (2007), with a specialization in literary analysis. In his spare time, he laments the human condition, plays old school video games, reads dark, depressing literature, and tries to keep a smile on his face.

A.S. Coomer is a native Kentuckian serving out a purgatorial existence somewhere in the Midwest. His work has appeared in over thirty publications. He’s got a handful of novels that need good homes. You can find him at www.ascoomer.wordpress.com. He also runs a “record label” for poetry: www.lostlonggoneforgottenrecords.wordpress.com.


Rosanne Trost, RN MPH, is a retired registered nurse living in Houston, Texas. She spent most of her career in oncology nursing research. Since retirement, she has realized her passion for creative writing.

Graduated as a mathematician, Harlan Yarbrough has been a full-time professional entertainer most of his life, including a stint as a regular on the Grand Ole Opry. Repeated attempts to escape the entertainment industry have brought work as a librarian, a physics teacher, and a city planner. Harlan lives in New Zealand but returns to the US to perform.

Richard Krause’s collection of fiction, Studies in Insignificance, was published by Livingston Press and his epigram collection, Optical Biases, was published by Eyecorner Press in Denmark. Propertius Press has accepted his second collection of epigrams, Eye Exams. His writing has more recently appeared in The Long Story, J Journal, Hotel Amerika, Scapegoat Review, Turk’s Head Review, Red Savina Review and Eastlit. Oddville Press and Brilliant Flash Fiction will publish his work this fall. He teaches at Somerset Community College in Kentucky.

Andra Land is a displaced Hoosier freelance writer living near the New Jersey shore. In addition to writing articles for publication on various informational websites, she writes short stories and poetry, and is close to completing her first novel.

Pat Tyrer is a Professor of English at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas where she teaches Creative Writing, Technical Communication, and American Literature. She is a writer and lover of literature who hikes Palo Duro Canyon watching birds when the sun is up and star gazing when it’s not. She writes and publishes poetry, essays, and short fiction.

Andrea Cox Christen grabbed her family, packed nine suitcases and flew to Indonesia to see what life was like in the tropics. In Indonesia she writes, reads and teaches while missing winter, open-roads, and gallon containers of ice cream.


Adam's fiction has appeared internationally in over a dozen magazines including Straylight Literary Magazine, Soundings East, The Bryant Literary Review, The Berkeley Fiction Review, Morpheus Tales, Infernal Ink Magazine, Crack the Spine, with several forthcoming publications. He has had three previous stories published in The Indiana Voice Journal.

October 4, 2016


"Hope Realized" 18 x 24 by David Cunningham

Welcome to the October 2016 issue of Indiana Voice Journal. I am honored to present the work of so many amazing visual artists, and award winning authors in one issue. Our contributors voices sound out from all parts of the world, but our featured visual artist this month is David Cunningham, who resides in Indiana. Be sure to check out his work, as well as the many other poetic voices gracing this  issue of IVJ. 

As many of you know, on February 15, 2016 we published an ekphrastic edition featuring the artwork of Shameeg van Schalkwyk, a 25 year-old self-taught visual artist from the Cape Flats in South Africa, with poets responding to his art. I'm happy to report that since that time, Shameeg was offered an endowment from a benefactor, Doctor Nanda Sooben, and has been attending school. A moving tribute to Doctor Sooben, crafted by author Bilkis Moola, is included in this issue.

 I wish you all a safe, beautiful Autumn season, and a Happy Halloween. ~Janine Pickett


POETRY 



A Poem by Joseph K. Wells: "Eternity"
Two Poems by Natalie Crick: "Dear Sister," and "The Murmuring"
Two Poems by Grayson Spaw: "Mantis" and "Childhood Cul-de-sac"
Four Poems by Judy Moskowitz:  "Modigliani," "Once Upon a Time," "Band of Gold," and "Boogieman Dreams"
Four Poems by Lynda McKinney Lambert: "Insight," "Zen Enlightenment," “An Afternoon Embroidery Lesson,” and “Appalachian Alchemy"
A Poem by Lucia Walton Robinson: "Hand-Me-Downs: A Sestina for Graggy"
Three Untitled Poems by Simon Perchik
Three Poems by Ted Mc Carthy: "Eggs," "Dalkey in November," and "Kilcloon"
A Poem by Milton Montague: "Bless My Recliner"
Four Poems by Todd Outcalt: "Doodling," "Venice in the Rain," "Art in Florence," and "Singing the Blues"
Two Poems by David Allen: "Halloween" and "Halloweeks"
Two Poems by Debasish Parashar: "Keep a Vigil With the Corpses," and "Of Promises, Markets and Memories"
Three Poems by Isabel Chenot: "Fallen Leaves," "7:30," and "Isaiah 27:1"
Three Poems by Kara D. Spain: "Waiting on Fall," "Winter's Love," and "The Path We Walked"
Three Poems by Alan Britt: "Wishing I Lived in Montana," "Party at Watson's," and "Invisible Sounds of Cinco de Mayo, 10 a.m."
Three Poems by Dan Jacoby: "Sleeping Sycamores," "Upton Cemetery," and "Chance Meeting"
Three Poems by Ken Allan Dronsfield: "The Leaves Wink," "Athenaeum of Dreams," and "Penny's Last Quarter"
Three Poems by Adam Levon Brown: "Fuzzy Repentence," "Phoenix in Chains," and "Bella Morte"
Three Poems by Denise C. Buschmann: "Charlie Brings Nora to Visit, August 7, 2015," "Reality Jolt," and "Worth by Different Standards"
A Poem by Jennifer Criss: "Come Hither"


VISUAL ART
 

A special thank you to visual artists Fabrice B. Poussin, and James Hubbard for their photography and artwork used throughout this issue of Indiana Voice Journal.


CREATIVE NONFICTION/ESSAY 

CNF/Essay by Jenny Sturgill: "The Moon's Spell"
 
 


Bilkis Moola is an Educator who works as a Head of Department in Languages at a school in Vukuzakhe, a township located in Volksrust, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.  Her first published anthology, “Wounds and Wings:  A Lyrical Salve Through Metaphor” was received throughout South Africa and launched her poetic persona.  It evolved as an introspective quest for recovery from her personal narrative of an abusive marriage.  She presently divides her time between professional responsibilities and  postgraduate studies in Education.  Her pen continues to sketch the flotsam in her mind from the passion in her heart on shreds of paper that bloom into poems.

Joseph K. Wells is a businessman, doctor of occupational therapy, part-time professor and a few wannabes from time to time. Poetry allows him to be whatever and whoever he wants to be. His physical form lives in Toledo, Ohio. A selection of his works is posted on https://paperonweb.wordpress.com.

Natalie Crick has found delight in writing all of her life and first began writing when she was a very young girl. Her poetry is influenced by melancholic confessional Women's poetry. Her poetry has been published in a range of journals and magazines including Cannons Mouth, Cyphers, Ariadne's Thread, Carillon and National Poetry Anthology 2013.


Grayson Spaw is a high school senior from Fort Wayne, Indiana. She enjoys reading, writing, acting, and living with her four cats.

Judy Moskowitz started playing piano at the age of three and became a professional jazz musician. She has performed throughout the New York City area and was part of the jazz scene in New York. Judy started writing poetry three years ago and has been published in Indiana Voice Journal, Midnight Dreamers Of The Yellow Haze, The Poet Community.com, Whispers Of The Wind, Leaves Of Ink, and Poetry Life & Times. She currently resides in Boca Raton Florida where she continues to play jazz and write poetry. They live side by side in her veins and soul.

In the fall of 2008, Lynda McKinney Lambert retired from her teaching career at Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA where she was Professor of Fine Arts and Humanities. She now divides her days between writing, knitting and creating mixed-media fiber art. She exhibits her art in national & international exhibitions. Lambert’s writing focus is poetry and creative non-fiction. Currently, she has three new books in development. One is creative non-fiction essays, and two are poetry books. She is the author of "Concerti: Psalms for the Pilgrimage," published by Kota Press.

Lucia Walton Robinson is both a Hoosier and a Southern poet, holding degrees from Butler and Duke. Having edited books in Manhattan and taughtliterature and writing in a Florida college, she’s now ensconced near the Carolina coast and her daughter, also an editor and poet. Her work has appeared in Kakalak 2015, The Penwood Review, The Road Not Taken: A Journal of Formal Poetry, The Southern Poetry Anthology, vol. VII, Indiana Voice Journal, and other publications.

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

Ted Mc Carthy is a poet and translator living in Clones, Ireland. His work has appeared in magazines in Ireland, the UK, Germany, the USA, Canada and Australia. He has had two collections published, 'November Wedding', and 'Beverly Downs'. His work can be found on www.tedmccarthyspoetry.weebly.com

Milton Montague, was born in new York in 1924. He survived the Great Depression, school, and World W II, He fell in love, married, raised three wonderful daughters, and retired. He discovered poetry at 86. Now at 90 plus he has 103 poems published in 29 different magazines, including Indiana Voice Journal.

Todd Outcalt is the author of over thirty books in six languages including Common Ground, The Best Things In Life Are Free, and the upcoming children's biography, All About Martin Luther King, Jr. His poetry has most recently appeared in The Oklahoma Review, Rattle, and Poetry Quarterly. He writes mystery novels under the pen name, R.L. Perry.

David Allen is a retired journalist and now full-time poet living in Central Indiana. He is the Poetry Editor of Indiana Voice Journal, the 1st Vice President of the Indiana State Federation of Poetry Clubs, and is an active member of the Last Stanza Poetry Association of Elwood, Indiana. His poems and short stories have been published in several journals and he has published two books of poetry, "The Story So Far," and "(more)," both available from Amazon.com. He also has a blog, “Type Dancing,” at: www.davidallen.nu.

Debasish Parashar is a poet and social journalist based in New Delhi, India. He is a postgraduate in English literature from University of Delhi. He has sung for 'In Search of God' and 'Raag'.His literary works have been featured in prestigious Indian and international journals, including Visual Verse (Germany/U.K), Tuck Magazine, and the Assam Tribune. He has a website at: https://debasishparashar.wordpress.com.

Isabel Chenot has previously had poetry appear in Indiana Voice Journal,  the Anima poetry journal, on the Atavic poetry site, and on Hedgerows small poems. Recently a small collection (Leaves Like Spindrift) was published by Anima Poetry Press.She has loved poetry as long as she can remember.

Kara D. Spain is a poet who often writes in the lyrical, formal style. She enjoys spending time alone, contemplating life, while drinking warm tea. She is "married to my wonderful husband of ten years" and has two spoiled cats. More of her poetry and publications her website: http://lyrical-discovery.blogspot.com/


Alan Britt was invited by the Ecuadorian House of Culture Benjamín Carrión in Quito, Ecuador, in 2015 as part of the first cultural exchange of poets between Ecuador and the United States. During his visit, he participated in venues all across the country, including the international literary conference sponsored by La hermandad de las palabras. In 2013 he served as judge for the The Bitter Oleander Press Library of Poetry Book Award. His interview at The Library of Congress for "The Poet and the Poem" aired on Pacifica Radio and is available at www.loc.gov/poetry/media/avfiles/poet-poem-alan-britt.mp3 . His latest books include Violin Smoke (Translated into Hungarian by Paul Sohar and published in Romania & Hungary (2015); Lost Among the Hours: 2015; Parabola Dreams (with Silvia Scheibli): 2013; and Alone with the Terrible Universe: 2011. He teaches English/Creative Writing at Towson University. he lives in Reisterstown, MD.

Dan Jacoby is a former principal, teacher, coach, and counterintelligence agent. He is a graduate of St. Louis University, Chicago State University, and Governors State University and lives in Beecher and Hagaman, Illinois. He has published poetry in Anchor and Plume (Kindred), Arkansas Review, Belle Rev Review, Bombay Gin, Burningword Literary Review, Canary, Cowboy Poetry Press-Unbridled 2015, Chicago Literati, and Indiana Voice Journal, to name a few. He He is a member of the American Academy of Poets and the Carlinville Writers Guild and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2015. He is currently looking for a publisher for a collection of poetry.

Ken Allan Dronsfield is a published poet and author originally from New Hampshire, now residing in Oklahoma. He loves thunderstorms, walking in the woods at night, and spending time with his cats Merlin and Willa. He is the co-editor of the new poetry anthology titled, Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze available at Amazon.com. His published work can be found in reviews, journals, magazines and anthologies throughout the web and in print venues including: The Burningword Journal, Indiana Voice Journal, The Literary Hatchet Magazine, Belle Reve Journal, Peeking Cat Magazine, Dead Snakes,Bewildering Stories, Aquill Relle, Members Anthology, Book 6, Literature Today, Volume 5, Poetic Melodies Anthology, Creative Talents Unleashed; and many others. His poetry has been nominated for Best of the Net for 2016.

Adam Levon Brown is a published author, poet, amateur photographer, and cat lover. He is owner of Madness Muse Press; a micro-press that publishes dark poetry, and a book reviewer for Five 2 One Magazine. He has been published in the Burningword Literary Journal, Corvus Review, and Yellow Chair Review. Adam can be contacted via his website at www.AdamLevonBrown.org where he offers free poetry resources. Also see his press at www.Madnessmusepress.com. The poems "Phoenix in Chains" and "Bella Morte" first appeared in his chapbook, “These Streets Don’t Cry For Us,” available from Amazon.

Denise C. Buschmann lives in Carmel, Indiana and is a freelance editor and proofreader. A former teacher, she holds master’s degrees in mild interventions and reading from The University of Indianapolis. She grew up in a small town in North Carolina and sometimes lay awake listening to transfer trucks whizz by her grandmother’s house, when visiting overnight, thinking how wonderful it would be to travel to some of their destinations. Having lived in several states, Denise settled down in Indiana 23 years ago. Denise’s poetry received honorable mention in the Contemporary American Poetry Prizes contest in 2014 (Chicago) and has been published, thus far, this year in Leaveners Poets’ Corner (UK), The Great American Wise Ass Poetry Anthology, Lamar University (TX), Seeing Beyond the Surface (NJ), Shout it Out! (UK), and Revival: Self Discovery Magazine (FL).


Jennifer Criss graduated from Ball State University with a minor in Creative Writing. She is currently collaborating on an anthology for older adults and helps lead a writing support group. Jennifer writes mostly short stories but has discovered a love for writing poetry. Her poetry has been published in Poebita Magazine, Whispers, The Poet Community, NY Literary Magazine and Indiana Voice Journal. Her work also appears in several print anthologies. She now works at Ball State, is a busy mother of two girls, and the art editor at Indiana Voice Journal.


Transcend:My Pictures:personal:headshot copy.jpg
 David Cunningham's compelling realistic paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States. In his meticulously crafted oil paintings, he combines traditional 15th century Dutch technique with contemporary ideas about space and composition.  Through preliminary drawings, value based underpainting, and multiple thin layers of colors, David creates paintings that celebrate three-dimensional illusion. 
 Professor Cunningham’s current body of work focuses on the beautiful color relationships and amazing juxtaposition of shapes and textures found in stones.   The paintings reveal the power, hardness, and permanence of its subject matter creating subtle narratives that resonate with something deep, primitive, and spiritual in all of us. Over the last three years, these paintings have received high praise being exhibited in over a dozen juried and invitational exhibits. Recently, he received best of show in Fort Wayne Museum of Art’s Contemporary Realism Biennial and in the Swope Museum’s Wabash Valley exhibit.

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