July 6, 2018

"Sundog-Guardian of the Sun" Acrylic on Canvas/IVJ

Evening Sun
Orb suspended low to westward,
Glowing with a rosy blush
Like a ripened pomegranate
Drooping languid, large, and lush –
Noontide’s blinding glare has dwindled;
Now I look you in the eye.
Back you gaze, no longer blazing,
Stoically resigned to die;
Sinking through the purple heavens
Where magenta cloudscapes swell;
Smiling on the weary millions,
Calmly bidding them farewell.
Do not go! Your scarlet embers
Cast the light that comforts most,
Solace that your presence lingers
Still, so shortly to be lost.
©Adam Sedia

In This Issue: 
A mother ponders the best way to help her son through addiction. A couple contemplates a mattress found leaning against a tree. A man ensures his daughter's wedding will happen without a hitch. A doctor asks his patient, "How are you still alive?"  What do all these people have in common? They are just a few of the characters residing in the pages of this issue of IVJ. I hope you enjoy the read! ~Janine Pickett



POETRY


CREATIVE NONFICTION/ESSAYS


An Essay by Christopher Woods: "Passage"
An Essay by Allison Staley: "On Insecurity"
An Essay by Angel Grubbs: "What Kind of Freak am I?"
An Essay by Charles E.J. Moulton: "One Day, Rock will be Classical Music"
A Memoir by Barbara McLaughlin: "Boylston Street"


FICTION

Ananya S Guha lives in Shillong in North East India. He has been publishing his poetry over thirty years. He is a senior academic in India's Indira Gandhi National Open University.


Donna Monday, a native of Greenfield, IN, is a Hanover College graduate, a former teacher, a former newspaper editor, and a retired car salesperson. In 2017 she helped create the first ever “Step-on-Us Sidewalk Poetry Contest” in Zionsville. She is the mother of two and grandmother of six and, in addition to writing poetry, occasionally pens a column for the Zionsville Current. She is a past recipient of the prestigious “Town Crier Award,” presented by the Greater Zionsville Chamber of Commerce. She is the author of Dancing in the Alley, and was published in Diamonds, an anthology of the Poetry Society of Indiana. She took second place in the Riley Days Festival Spoken Poetry Contest in Greenfield.

S. Liam Spradlin writes poetry and fiction. His love for poetry has found a resurgence and he began writing poetry again in the recent months. His works have appeared in Sequoya Review, The Scarlet Leaf Review, Weasel Press, Dissident Voice, and Tuck magazine. He lives in Tennessee.

Sunil Sharma is Mumbai, India, based critic, literary editor and author with 19 published books, including six collections of poetry. He is a recipient of the UK-based Destiny Poets’ inaugural Poet of the Year award for 2012. His poems have been published in the UN project: Happiness: The Delight-Tree: An Anthology of Contemporary International Poetry. He edits the English section of the monthly bilingual journal Setu, published from Pittsburgh. Visit his webpage at http://www.setumag.com/p/setu-home.html or his blog at
http://www.drsunilsharma.blogspot.in/.

Janice Canerdy is a retired high-school English teacher from Potts Camp, Mississippi. She says she has been writing poems for decades and especially enjoys writing rhymed, metered poems. Her poems and stories have appeared in several magazines and journals, including Indiana Voice Journal,
 and others.  She has been published in anthologies including those published by the Mississippi Poetry Society, the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Whispering Angel Books, and Quill Books. My first book, Expressions of Faith (Christian Faith Publishing), was published in December 2016.

Gale Acuff has been published Ascent, McNeese Review, Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Poem, Weber, Maryland Poetry Review, Florida Review, Slant, Poem, Carolina Quarterly, Arkansas Review, South Dakota Review, Orbis, and other journals. He has three books of poetry: Buffalo Nickel (BrickHouse Press, 2004), The Weight of the World (BrickHouse, 2006), and The Story of My Lives (BrickHouse, 2008). He has taught university English in the US, China, and the Palestinian West Bank.

Dah’s sixth poetry collection is The Opening (CTU Publishing Group, 2018)
and his poems have been published by editors from the US, UK, Ireland, Canada,
Singapore, Spain, Australia, Africa, Poland, Philippines, and India. Dah lives in Berkeley,
California and is working on the manuscript for his ninth poetry book. He is a Pushcart
Prize nominee and the lead editor of The Lounge, poetry critique group. He has two books of poetry scheduled to be published later this year.  His blog is at www.dahlusion.wordpress.com

Isabel Chenot says she has been "helplessly writing poems and stories since she could form letters and staple pages together into homemade books." She will soon have poems published in Assisi Magazine. Her website is at unevenlines.net.

Sue Ann Kautz Owens was born in Indiana and graduated from Indiana State University. She now lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband and son. She is a published novelist and published poet.

Steve Denehan lives in Kildare, Ireland with his wife Eimear and daughter Robin. He has been published in The First Literary Review, Better Than Starbucks, The Opiate, Sky Island Journal and many others. His poems are to be published in upcoming issues of Evening Street Review, Poetry Quarterly, The Folded Word, Ink In Thirds, Fowl Feathered Review,Third Wednesday and as a "microchapbook" as part of the Origami Poems Project."

Nels Hanson grew up on a small farm in the San Joaquin Valley of California and has worked as a farmer, teacher and contract writer/editor. His fiction received the San Francisco Foundation’s James D. Phelan Award and Pushcart nominations in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016. His poems received a 2014 Pushcart nomination, Sharkpack Review’s 2014 Prospero Prize, and 2015 and 2016 Best of the Net nominations.

Joseph S. Pete is an award-winning journalist, an Iraq War veteran, an Indiana University graduate, a book reviewer, a photographer, and a frequent guest on Lakeshore Public Radio. He is a 2017 Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee who was named the poet laureate of Chicago BaconFest.
His literary or photographic work has appeared in more than 100 journals, including Indiana Voice Journal, Punchnel's, Flying Island, Dogzplot, Proximity Magazine, Stoneboat, The High Window, Synesthesia Literary Journal, Steep Street Journal, Beautiful Losers, The Tipton Poetry Journal, Euphemism, and elsewhere. 

Holly Day’s poetry has recently appeared in Big Muddy, The Cape Rock, New Ohio Review, and Gargoyle. Her newest poetry collections, A Perfect Day for Semaphore (Finishing Line Press), I'm in a Place Where Reason Went Missing (Main Street Rag Publishing Co.), and Where We Went Wrong (Clare Songbirds Publishing), will be out mid-2018. The Yellow Dot of a Daisy is already out on Alien Buddha Press.

Hiromi Yoshida has been described as one of Bloomington's "finest and most outspoken poets" by Tony Brewer, Chair of the Writers Guild at Bloomington. Winner of multiple Indiana University Writers' Conference awards, her poems have been published in Flying Island, "he Asian American Literary Review, Plath Profiles, Evergreen Review, Bathtub Gin, and The Rain, Party, & Disaster Society.

Fabrice B. Poussin lives in Rome, Georgia, where he teaches teachers at Shorter Univerity. He is the advisor for The Chimes, the univeristy's award-winning poetry and arts publication. His writing and photography have been published in print, including Kestrel, Symposium, La Pensee Universelle of Paris, and more than 350 other art and literature magazines in the United States and abroad.


A Poem by Phillip Brown: "I Bumped Into You'

Bruce Mundhenke has worked a laborer and a registered nurse. He writes poetry in Illinois, where he lives with his wife and their dog and cat. He finds in nature beauty, inspiration, and revelation. He has published fiction and poetry in the U.S. and the UK.

Adam J. Sedia (b. 1984) lives in his native Lake County, Indiana, with his wife, Ivana, and their son. He practices law as a civil and appellate litigator, and in 2017 served as president of the Lake County Bar Association. His poems have appeared in Indiana Voice Journal and other publications, and he has published two books of poetry, The Spring's Autumn and Inquietude, both available on Amazon.com. He also composes music, which may be heard on his YouTube channel.

Ann Christine Tabaka placed Third in Vita Brevis Best Poem Contest both January & February 2018. Her Interview in Spillwords was voted Publication for the Month for March 2018. and she was selected as Poet of the Month for January 2018 and interviewed by Kingdoms in the Wild. She lives with her husband and two cats in Delaware and loves gardening and cooking. Her most recent credits include poems in Page & Spine, West Texas Literary Review, Oddball Magazine, and The Paragon Journal, among others. She was a nominee for the 2017 Pushcart Prize in Poetry.

Christopher Woods is a writer, teacher and photographer who lives in Houston and in Chappell Hill, Texas. He is the author of a novel, THE DREAM PATCH, a prose collection, UNDER A RIVERBED SKY, and a collection of stage monologues for actors, HEART SPEAK. Gallery - http://christopherwoods.zenfolio.com/

I grew up in Tipp City, OH and was raised in a Christian home with my older sister and younger brother. I graduated from Tippecanoe High School in 2014, and am currently a Middle Childhood Education major at Cedarville University. I look forward to completing my degree soon with my student teaching in Mexico this fall. I enjoy dancing, hiking, and traveling to new places and cultures. One of my joys is being involved with youth ministry and mentoring young students.


Angel Grubbs resides in the Midwest with her new husband Philip. Together, with their Blue Honda CRV, they embark on philosophical adventures traced through their favorite avenues: Tarbox Cemetery, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and CookOut. Her poetry has appeared in her university’s undergraduate journal Cedarville Review.

CHARLES E.J. MOULTON has been a stage performer since age eleven. His trilingual, artistic upbringing, as the son of Gun Kronzell and Herbert Moulton, lead to a hundred stage productions, countless cross-over concerts, work as a bandleader and as an acting teacher. He is a regular contributor for Idea Gems, has written for Shadows Express, Cover of Darkness, Vocal Images and Pill Hill Press. He is a tourguide, a big-band-vocalist, a filmmaker, a painter, a voice-over-speaker, a translator, is married and has a daughter. Charles E.J. Moulton's passion is creative versatility. His short story collection, Aphrodite's Curse: 21 Tales of Love and Terror can be purchased by clicking the link. Homepages:http://www.reverbnation.com/charlesejmoulton/

http://moultoniancreativity.weebly.com

I am pursuing my masters in Professional Creative writing from the University of Denver and have spent more than thirty years in Indianapolis. I have a children's book published, entitled Reuben Rides the Rails, a Christamore House Guild selected book in 2010. It tells the story of the Reuben Wells Steam Engine housed in the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Likewise, I worked with the Indiana Writers Center on two anthologies: Where Mercy and Truth Meet: Homeless Women of Wheeler Speak; and Finding the Words, stories of war by female veterans. Prior to writing fiction, I traveled the world as a journalist and media relations specialist for U.S. Diving in Indianapolis.

DB Cox is a blues musician/writer from South Carolina. He grew up in a Southern Baptist Orphanage called Connie Maxwell Children’s Home in Greenwood, SC. He graduated from high school in 1966, and joined the Marines Corps right after the Vietnam TET Offensive in 1968. After being discharged in 1972, he spent several years playing guitar in bars, juke joints, and honky-tonks across the South.


Carroll Ann Susco has an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh and numerous publications, including Cutbank and three in The Sun Magazine.

Marcia Conover was born in Indiana, growing up in a small Farming community located in northern Madison County. Since she was a small child, she has had a compassion for animals in need and a love of photography and the outdoors. She wrote short fiction and poetry since high school and has been published in Indiana Voice Journal and several anthologies available on Amazon. She is married with 2 grown children and lives on a small farm where she has owned and operated an in-home state-licensed child care since 1984.

Kimberly Lee happily left the practice of law some years ago to focus on motherhood, community work, and creative pursuits. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Satirist, Toasted Cheese, Thread, Calliope, and Literary Mama’s Blog, amongst others. She lives in Southern California with her husband and three children, and is currently at work on her
first novel.



The author has had published ten short stories and six poems. After having graduated with  a Ph.D. in Russian literature and Philosophy, he taught Humanities for 23 years in Moscow, Russia. He now resides in Buffalo, N.Y. The author is 66 years old and counting...   

Melinda Giordano is a native of Los Angeles, California.  Her written pieces have appeared in the Lake Effect Magazine, Scheherazade’s Bequest, Whisperings, Circa Magazine and Vine Leaves Literary Journal among others. She was also a regular poetry contributor to CalamitiesPress.com with her own column, ‘I Wandered and Listened’ and was nominated for the 2017 Pushcart Prize. She writes flash fiction and poetry that speculates on the possibility of remarkable things – the secret lives of the natural world.

Jacqueline Masumian, a graduate of DePauw University, is the author of Nobody Home: A Memoir. She grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, and has enjoyed careers as actress, performing arts manager, and landscape designer. Her stories have appeared in Brilliant Flash Fiction, Beechwood Review, and Gravel, among others. Her website is jacquelinemasumian.com.


Joe Giordano was born in Brooklyn. He and his wife, Jane, now live in Texas.
Joe's stories have appeared in more than one-hundred magazines including The Saturday Evening Post and Shenandoah. His novel, Birds of Passage, An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story, was published by Harvard Square Editions October 2015. His second novel, Appointment with ISIL, an Anthony Provati Thriller was published by HSE in June 2017.

Joe was among one-hundred Italian-American authors honored by Barnes & Noble Chairman Len Riggio to march in the 2017 Manhattan, Columbus Day Parade.
Read the first chapters of Joe's novels and sign up for his blog at http://joe-giordano.com/

Christopher Hivner writes from a small town in Pennsylvania surrounded by books and the echoes of music. He has recently been published in Illumen, Dead Snakes and Jitter. A collection of short stories, “The Spaces Between Your Screams” was published by eTreasures Publishing. website: www.chrishivner.com, Facebook: Christopher Hivner - Author, Twitter: @Your_screams

Jonathan Ferrini is a published author who resides in San Diego. He received his MFA in Motion Picture and Television Production from UCLA. 

Emily Jo Scalzo holds an MFA in fiction from California State University-Fresno and is currently an assistant professor teaching research and creative writing at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Her work has appeared in various magazines, including Midwestern Gothic, Mobius: The Journal of Social Change, Blue Collar Review, New Verse News, and others. Her first chapbook, The Politics of Division, was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2018 Eric Hoffer Book Awards. One of her poems, "After Charleston," will appear in the forthcoming book Revisiting the Elegy in the Black Lives Matter Era.





This issue contains three new book highlights from authors previously published in Indiana Voice Journal. We are proud of all our authors! Be sure to check them out. "Bound by Seduction, Redeemed by Grace: One Woman’s Story of Falling into Freedom" by Stacey Louiso; "Tales in the Dreams Garden" by Angel Edwards; and "No Ordinary Soldier-My Father's Two Wars" by Liz Gilmore Williams.
______________________________________________________


Stacey Louiso: "Bound by Seduction, Redeemed by Grace: One Woman’s Story of Falling into Freedom"

Shame.

Unbeknownst to her, shame played a huge part in the life of the author, Stacey Louiso. She carried it, internally, from childhood into adulthood. Accompanying shame were some dirty secrets that wreaked havoc on her life, leading her down many wrong paths, until one day Stacey found herself fully broken. Some might perceive this as a bad thing—being broken—however, what transpired in the aftermath sent her down the right path…

THE path to: Understanding, deep wisdom and most importantly, breaking free of the harlot spirit that controlled the very fiber of her being since birth. Jesus Christ found Stacey in troubled waters and forgave her every transgression. He healed her soul while breathing new life into this woman—once bound by seduction, now redeemed by Grace!

This is more than a book about finding one's faith - it is an instrument of healing. A tool, like litmus paper, to enable people to see they aren't the "only one" tormented and controlled by lust, incorrect and unloving thinking, unforgivingness. Regardless of whether you have been living in self-conflict for 1 year or 30 years - a Christian or not - this story proves there is a way out! The Great Counselor who showed Stacey the way through the dark is no respecter of persons, He can and will do the same for you.

“Bound by Seduction, Redeemed by Grace is thought provoking and insightful. It documents a transformed life, from the grip of Satan’s loins to the mountain top life.
I recommend this book for everyone in the body of Christ to be equipped with the adequate knowledge against the wiles of the enemy. Also, I believe anyone seeking self-deliverance will find it helpful. Buy two, three or even four copies, and give to the important people in your life!”

Pastor Segun E. EGBEWALE
Christ Chosen Seed Evangelical Ministry, Nigeria

“I found this book captivating! I didn’t want to put it down, not even to cook dinner for my family. I admire and appreciate Stacey’s willingness and obedience to God in sharing her story. He knows there is someone who needs to read it, to hear that He loves us—despite our past!”
K. Williams, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Wife, mother and grandmother
For information on where to purchase Bound by Seduction, Redeemed by Grace, or to connect with Stacey Louiso, click here.




Angel Edwards: "Tales in the Dreams Garden"

http://www.silverbowpublishing.com/tales-in-the-dreams-garden.html
http://www.reverbnation.com/angeledwards

Angel Edwards’ first collection of poems. Tales from the Dreams Garden, is a delightful and mysterious read. Her work draws on her extensive musical background. This is exemplified by her use of cadence and breath that imbues each poem with narrative and subtle rhythm. Repetition is cleverly used along with spare and beautiful imagery.  ~ Jude Neale author of “A Quite Coming of the Light”; “Splendid in Its Silence”










Liz Gilmore Williams: "No Ordinary Soldier-My Father's Two Wars"



A young man from a gritty Pennsylvania mill town enlists in the Army Air Corps and heads to Hawaii, the "Paradise of the Pacific." There, he and his buddies defend Oahu while it explodes and burns in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As the war surges, his bomber squadron ships out to primitive Pacific outposts. Amid air raids, stifling heat, and outbreaks of tropical disease, he clings to sanity through the letters he and his wife share, letters found years later saved in the attic. Haunted by his terrifying rages decades after his death, his daughter delves into the letters for clues to his turmoil. The letters lead her to discover a shocking family secret, not only fulfilling her quest but also revealing a story of war, love, and forgiveness.

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