May/June 2018 Issue #39

INDIANA VOICE JOURNAL

May/June 2018, Issue #39

Sailboat with jet trail-oil painting-by Derek McCrea

     

     Welcome back to our first full "all-star" issue of IVJ since our hiatus! This 39th issue contains 39 lovely features from around the world covering topics such as history, racism, addiction, death, love, funerals, and weddings. Two wonderful visual artists are featured in this edition: Derek McCrea (Paintings) and Jim Zola (Photography), be sure to check them out! Annie Proulx once said, "You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write." So read, enjoy, then write, and submit your own work. Happy Spring from all of us at IVJ!

POETRY

A Poem by Michael Kagan: "Ode to Leonard Cohen"

A Poem by Belinda Hubert: "Saturated"

A Poem by Andrew Hubbard: "Long Time Passing"

Two Poems by Stacey Louiso: "Emotion", and "How Do I Tell You"

Three Poems by W.B. Cornwell: " Within a Dream," "Cherry Smoke," and "Speakeasy"

Three Poems by Timothy Robbins:"Hand, Eyes, Mouth", "The Hallway", "For Amelia Who Took Over Our Lease" 

Three Poems by Steven Petersheim: "The Windburned People," "Numb Love," and "Mnemosyne" 

Three Poems by John Grey: "Whole Woman and the Face of a Man," "Car Lover," and "At the Singles Bar"

Four Poems by Jenny Kalahar: "Tightly Knotted," "Slim," "My Mother Smiles," and "Framed and Severed"

Three Poems by Jeff Burt: "Tense," "A Little Unconscious," and "Walking a Fallen Redwood"

Two Poems by Duane Anderson: "Revenge of the Sunset Maple," and "Clothing Donations"

Three Poems by Douglas G. Campbell: "Kindness," "Hollow Dreams Still Waiting," and "Between Stones" 

Three Poems by David Subacchi: "Starlings," "Barbour Jacket," and "Come Quickly!"

Three Poems by Clyde Kessler: "Believing", " Blue-tailed Lizards", and "Ellum Trees" 

Three Poems by Barbara Suen: "An Angry God," "Cocoon to Freedom," and "Behind the Poem"

Two Poems by Judy Moskowitz: "Be Careful What You Write" and "Unresolved"

A poem by Lucia Walton Robinson: "Re-enactments: The Battle of Forks Road "

Three Poems by Ken Allan Dronsfield: "Little Girl in the Cemetery Garden," "The Stand," and "Our Daily Bread"

Three Poems by Michael Griffith

Three Poems by Robert Beveridge: "Barefoot in Camazotz," "Gardening in Ten Easy Lessons," and "My Town Has Changed"

Three Haikus by Denny E. Marshall

VISUAL ART

Photography by Jim Zola

Art Gallery Paintings by Derek McCrea

CREATIVE NONFICTION/ESSAY

Creative Nonfiction by Bill Vernon: "The Presence Among The Blooms" 

An Essay by Raymond Greiner: "A Secret Door"

An Essay by Marlena Fiol, PhD: "Ignorance"

An Essay by Patrick Dobson: “Nicotine’s This Man’s Best Friend”

FICTION

Fiction by Sharon Frame Gay: "July Clouds"

Fiction by J L Higgs: "Lee's Funeral, Emmy's Wedding"

Fiction by Larry Fronk: "The Moss Falls" 

Historical Fiction by Kaelin Shipley: "Home Coming"

Three Flash Fictions by Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois: "Race", "Deloris Believes in America" and "Krockmalnik Brothers"

Flash Fiction by Robert L. Penick: "Nice"

Flash Fiction by Daginne Aignend: "Targets"

BOOK REVIEWS

Cherifa Zekhnine Reviews "Atsa" by Raymond Greiner

Janine Pickett Reviews "Across the Light" by Bruce Owens

SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Literary Places-Highlight: Madness Muse Press

Books by IVJ Authors

A Poem by Michael Kagan: "Ode to Leonard Cohen"

Michael Kagan is a jazz musician from Toronto Canada. A few years ago he heard a poem in the music and he's now "trying to say it right." He's been published in The Poet Community, Indiana Voice Journal and Leaves of Ink.

A Poem by Belinda Hubert: "Saturated"

In addition to writing fiction and poetry, Belinda Hubert is currently working on a collection of short stories about life in the Midwest. Her novel, Shrink Wrapped is available on Amazon. Belinda works as a clinical psychologist in a private practice in Lowell, Indiana. http://buelasprairiepractice.blogspot.com/

A Poem by Andrew Hubbard: "Long Time Passing"

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. His new book, The Divining Rod, is available at: http://ipoz.biz/portfolio-single/the-divining-rod/

Two Poems by Stacey Louiso: "Emotion", and "How Do I Tell You"

Stacey Louiso lives for Christ, and tries to love with a whole heart by constantly studying the heart of Jesus Christ. She aspires to continually be The Potter’s Clay, doing her best to fulfill His will for her life, in ministry and by sharing His redeeming grace to any ears that might hear and eyes that might see. 

In gratitude for transforming her life back into one that is pleasing and usable to Him, she walks toward virtue, praying to embody a woman after God’s own heart! She serves the Lord daily and openly, giving all of her gifts and talents to God, to use for his purpose.
If you would like to learn more about Stacey please visit her website/blog: www.writingdownlife.com  

Three Poems by W.B. Cornwell: " Within a Dream," "Cherry Smoke," and "Speakeasy"

W. B. (William Benjamin) Cornwell is an award-winning poet and one half of the writing team known as Storm Sandlin. Since 2014 he has been published in nearly a dozen books. In 2016 he and his cousin, A. N. Williams, co-ran the campaign for Elwood Indiana’s Poetry Month. He is also a featured writer for Goodkin.org, a charter member of The Write Idea, and a member of Last Stanza Poetry Association.

Three Poems by Timothy Robbins:"Hand, Eyes, Mouth", "The Hallway", "For Amelia Who Took Over Our Lease"

Timothy Robbins teaches ESL. He has a B.A. in French and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics. He has been a regular contributor to Hanging Loose since 1978. His poems have appeared in Three New Poets, Slant, Main Street Rag, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Off The Coast and others. His collection Denny’s Arbor Vitae was published in 2017. He lives with his husband of twenty years in Kenosha, Wisconsin, birthplace of Orson Welles.

Three Poems by Steven Petersheim: "The Windburned People," "Numb Love," and "Mnemosyne"

Steven Petersheim is a professor and writer living in the Whitewater Valley region of eastern Indiana, where he teaches at Indiana University East. He enjoys hiking and exploring cultural and natural landmarks with his family. His poetry has appeared in Wilderness House Literary Review, The Wayfarer, and elsewhere.

Three Poems by John Grey: "Whole Woman and the Face of a Man," "Car Lover," and "At the Singles Bar"

John Grey is an Australian poet who lives in Rhode Island. He has recently been published in Examined Life Journal, Studio One, and the Columbia Review and has work upcoming in Leading Edge, Poetry East, and Midwest Quarterly.

Four Poems by Jenny Kalahar: "Tightly Knotted," "Slim," "My Mother Smiles," and "Framed and Severed"

Jenny Kalahar lives in Central Indiana with her husband, Patrick, and their pets in an old schoolhouse full of used books. She is the author of seven books and has been published in several anthologies, in literary journals, and in her humor column in Tails Magazine. Jenny is on the executive board of the Poetry Society of Indiana, she is the founder and leader of Last Stanza Poetry Association, and has begun work as the president of the Youth Poetry Society of Indiana.

Three Poems by Jeff Burt: "Tense," "A Little Unconscious," and "Walking a Fallen Redwood"

Jeff Burt lives in Santa Cruz County, California, with his wife, near a two-lane road wide enough for one car. He works in mental healt, and has published poems in The Monarch Review, Spry, LitBreak, and Psalter & Lyre. He won the 2017 Cold Mountain Review Poetry Prize.

Two Poems by Duane Anderson: "Revenge of the Sunset Maple," and "Clothing Donations"

Duane Anderson currently lives in La Vista, NE. He has had poems published in Saga, Poetry Now, Telephone, Lunch, Touchstone, Pastiche: Poems of Place, Fine Lines, The Ibis Head Review, Carcinogenic Poetry and several other publications.

Three Poems by Douglas G. Campbell: "Kindness," "Hollow Dreams Still Waiting," and "Between Stones"

Douglas G. Campbell lives in Portland, Oregon. He is Professor Emeritus of art at George Fox University where he taught painting, printmaking, drawing and art history courses. He is also the author of Turning Radius (2017), Tree Story (2018), Seeing: When Art and Faith Intersect (2002) and Parktails (2012). His poetry and artworks have been published in a number of periodicals including Harbinger Asylum, Nourish, Off The Coast, and Indiana Voice Journal. His artwork is represented in collections such as The Portland Art Museum, Oregon State University, Ashforth Pacific, Inc. and George Fox University. Visit his website at : http://www.douglascampbellart.com/

Three Poems by David Subacchi: "Starlings," "Barbour Jacket," and "Come Quickly!"

David Subacchi lives in Wales, where he was born of Italian roots. He studied at the University
of Liverpool and has four collections of his English Language poetry, First Cut (2012),
Hiding in Shadows (2014), Not Really a Stranger (2016) and A Terrible Beauty (2016), as well as
one in Welsh, Eglwys Yng Nghremona (2017). His work has appeared in many literary magazines and anthologies worldwide. You can find out more about David and his work at:
http://www.writeoutloud.net/profiles/davidsubacchi.

Three Poems by Clyde Kessler: "Believing", " Blue-tailed Lizards", and "Ellum Trees"

Clyde Kessler lives in Radford, VA with his wife Kendall and their son Alan. In 2017 his poetry book, Fiddling At Midnight's Farmhouse, was published by Cedar Creek Publishing. Kendall illustrated the book. For more about Clyde, visit http://www.cedarcreekauthors.com/clydekesslerpoet.html

Three Poems by Barbara Suen: "An Angry God," "Cocoon to Freedom," and "Behind the Poem"

Barbara Suen is from Mishawaka, Indiana. Her poems have appeared in several regional,
and international anthologies, including the "Potpourri Anthology Vol. 1," "I Have A Name", "Verses On Racism, Resistance and Refugee Crisis," "Women Poets: Within And Beyond Shores Vol. 2," "Tried, Tested And True, Poets From Across The Globe," "Dandelion In A Vase Of Roses," and others. She is a moderator on a poetry site called "OPA Poetry."

Two Poems by Judy Moskowitz: "Be Careful What You Write" and "Unresolved"

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.

A poem by Lucia Walton Robinson: "Re-enactments: The Battle of Forks Road "

Lucia Walton Robinson, born a Hoosier, holds degrees from Butler and Duke Universities and has lived and worked in Manhattan and Florida as book editor and English professor. Shenow lives near her daughter in southeastern North Carolina. Her work has appeared in The Penwood Review, Kakalak 2015 and 2016, The Road Not Taken: A Journal of Formal Poetry, Split Rock Review, Indiana Poetry Journal, and The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol. VII.

Three Poems by Ken Allan Dronsfield: "Little Girl in the Cemetery Garden," "The Stand," and "Our Daily Bread"

Ken Allan Dronsfield is a disabled veteran, poet and fabulist originally from New Hampshire, now residing on the plains of Oklahoma. His work can be found in magazines, journals, reviews and anthologies. He has two poetry books, "The Cellaring," a collection of 80 poems of light horror, paranormal, weird and wonderful work, and "A Taint of Pity,  Life Poems Written with a Cracked Inflection." He has been nominated several times for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Ken loves writing, thunderstorms, walking in the woods at night and spending time with his cats Willa and Yumpy.

Three Poems by Michael Griffith

Michael Griffith began writing poetry to help his mind and spirit stay healthy as his body recovered from a life-changing injury. His poems and non-fiction articles have appeared in many print and online publications and anthologies. He resides and teaches near Princeton, NJ. His first book of poetry is slated to appear later this year.

Three Poems by Robert Beveridge: "Barefoot in Camazotz," "Gardening in Ten Easy Lessons," and "My Town Has Changed"

Robert Beveridge makes noise (xterminal.bandcamp.com) and writes poetry in Akron, OH. Recent/upcoming appearances include The Nixes Mate Review, Violet Rising, and The Road Less Travelled, among others.

Three Haikus by Denny E. Marshall

Denny E. Marshall has had art, poetry, and fiction published in various outlets. One recent credit is poetry at Page & Spine. See more at: www.dennymarshall.com

Photography by Jim Zola

Jim Zola is a poet and photographer living in North Carolina.

Art Gallery Paintings by Derek McCrea

My first experience with art was in 1982 attending weekly art classes at night with my mother that continued throughout the 1980s with established instructors such as Jimmy Peterson. As a family we participated in several art exhibits and events in Georgia during the summer each year. In 1987 I joined the U.S. Army and served for 24 years in locations across the Continental United States and Europe. During my military tours I was inspired by the vast differences in landscape and nature throughout the world and felt compelled to capture that emotion in art. I continued self-study, painted mostly in plein air with oils, and remained active in art galleries and the scene wherever I served as a Soldier. 

Creative Nonfiction by Bill Vernon: "The Presence Among The Blooms"

Bill Vernon served in the United States Marine Corps, studied English literature, then taught it. Writing is his therapy, along with exercising outdoors and doing international folkdances. Five Star Mysteries published his novel OLD TOWN, and his poems, stories and nonfiction have appeared in many magazines and anthologies.

An Essay by Raymond Greiner: "A Secret Door"

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 "Millie and Ami" is available on Amazon. Raymond lives in a remote area of southern Indiana in a cabin far off a lightly traveled road with his dog Venus.

An Essay by Marlena Fiol, PhD: "Ignorance"

Marlena Fiol, PhD, is a world-renowned author, scholar, speaker, and a spiritual seeker whose writing explores the depths of who we are and what’s possible in our lives. Her most recent essays have appeared or are forthcoming in Under the Sun, The Summerset Review, Barely South Review and The Furious Gazelle, among others. A sampling of her publications on identity and learning are available at marlenafiol.com.

An Essay by Patrick Dobson: “Nicotine’s This Man’s Best Friend”

I am a writer and college professor living in Kansas City, MO.

The University of Nebraska Press published my second travel memoir, Canoeing the Great Plains: A Missouri River Summer on May 1, 2015. My first, Seldom Seen: A Journey into the Great Plains was published in 2009 and won mentions in several contests, including the 2011 Byron Caldwell Smith Book Award from the Hall Center for Humanities at Kansas University, the 2012 High Plains Book Award, and the Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award.

Fiction by Sharon Frame Gay: "July Clouds"

Sharon Frame Gay grew up a child of the highway, playing by the side of the road. She has been internationally published in many anthologies and magazines including BioStories, Gravel Magazine, Fiction on the Web, Literally Stories, Lowestoft Chronicle, Thrice Fiction, Literary Orphans, Indiana Voice Journal, Crannog Magazine, and others. Her work has won prizes at Women on Writing, The Writing District, and Owl Hollow Press.  She is a Pushcart Prize nominee. You can find her on Amazon Author Central as well as Facebook as Sharon Frame Gay-Writer.

Fiction by J L Higgs: "Lee's Funeral, Emmy's Wedding"

J L Higgs' short stories typically focus on life from the perspective of a black American. The primary goal of his writings is to create a greater understanding between racial, ethnic, and religious groups in America.

He has been published in over 20 magazines including Indiana Voice Journal, Black Elephant, The Writing Disorder, Contrary Magazine, Literally Stories, The Remembered Arts Journal and nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

https://www.facebook.com/JL-Higgs-ArtistWriter-1433711619998262

Fiction by Larry Fronk: "The Moss Falls"

After receiving my MPA from Indiana State University I moved to Cincinnati to pursue a career in urban planning and City Management. After a rewarding 36 year career in local government I retired and pursued a personal interest in creative writing. The move from technical writing (memos, white papers, staff reports) to creative fiction was very refreshing. I have one published work “Bad Soldiers” that was published in the online Spring 2016 edition of The Writing Disorder.

Historical Fiction by Kaelin Shipley: "Home Coming"

I have lived in Tippecanoe County since 1967 and while in school pursued a degree in History and Education. I currently belong to the Tippecanoe County Arts Federation Women's Creative Writing Group.

I have always found this area of Indiana to be rich in history, which is often passed over for the more romantic period of westward expansion later in the 19th century. As a frequent visitor to both the Tippecanoe Battlefield and Fort Ouiatanon the history of the area speaks to me. This piece came out of those whisperings. It took three years to hear what the protagonist wanted me to say, but I think I finally got it.

Three Flash Fictions by Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois: "Race", "Deloris Believes in America" and "Krockmalnik Brothers"

Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois has had over fourteen-hundred of his poems and fictions appear in literary magazines in the U.S. and abroad, including INDIANA VOICE. He has been nominated for numerous prizes, and. was awarded the 2017 Booranga Writers’ Centre (Australia) Prize for Fiction. His novel, Two-Headed Dog, based on his work as a clinical psychologist in a state hospital, is available forKindle and Nook, or as a print edition. To read more of his work, Google Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois. He lives in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Flash Fiction by Robert L. Penick: "Nice"

Robert L. Penick's work has appeared in over 100 different literary journals, including The Hudson Review, North American Review, and The California Quarterly. He lives in Louisville, KY, USA, with his free-range box turtle, Sheldon, and edits Ristau, a tiny literary annual. More of his writing can be found at www.theartofmercy.net

Flash Fiction by Daginne Aignend: "Targets"

Daginne Aignend is a pseudonym for the Dutch writer, poetess, photographic artist Inge Wesdijk. She likes hard rock music, fantasy books, is a vegetarian who loves her animals. She's the Poetry Editor of Whispers and has been published in many poetry journals, magazines and anthologies, in the 'Tears' Anthology of the NY Literary Magazine to name one. She has a fun project website www.daginne.com

Cherifa Zekhnine Reviews "Atsa" by Raymond Greiner

Janine Pickett Reviews "Across the Light" by Bruce Owens

Literary Places-Highlight: Madness Muse Press

Madness Muse Press was founded in 2016 as a means to publish writing with sociopolitical leanings. Currently it is an independent 4 person run press, dedicated to spreading awareness and enacting social change through the power of writing; while at the same time, supporting our authors at any point in their career. We are an LLC, and one day hope to achieve 501(c3) status.

Highlight-Books by IVJ Authors