Indiana Voice Journal

July 1, 2015

Fiction By Alan Semrow: "Hard Chairs"

Alan Semrow lives in Wisconsin and is a graduate of English from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His poetry and fiction have been featured in multiple publications, including BlazeVOX14, Red Fez, The Bicycle Review, Earl of Plaid Lit Journal, Danse Macabre Literary Magazine, Potluck Magazine, Blotterature Lit Mag; The Rain, Party, & Disaster Society; The Commonline Journal, Crack the Spine, Indiana Voice Journal, EAP: The Magazine, Former People: A Journal of Bangs and Whimpers, Golden Walkman Magazine, Barney Street, and Wordplay, and he won the Essayist Award from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point English Department for his nonfiction work. In 2015, his stories are set to be featured in several journals, including TWJ Magazine, The Corner Club Press, The Biscuit, Eunoia Review, DoveTales Lit Journal, The Bitchin’ Kitsch, Calliope Magazine, The Chaffey Review, and The Radvocate. Semrow spends the majority of his free time with his boyfriend, friends, family, and Shih Tzu, Remy. His blog can be found at http://alansemrowriter.wordpress.com.

Phil Temples lives in Watertown, Massachusetts, and works as a
computer systems administrator at an area university. A native of
Bloomington, Indiana, he has published over seventy works of short
fiction in print and online journals. Blue Mustang Press recently
published Phil's murder-mystery novel, “The Winship Affair." And his
new paranormal-horror novel, "Helltown Chronicles," has been
accepted for publication by Eternal Press.

Fiction By Allison Whittenberg: "Ride the Peter Pan"

Allison Whittenberg is a poet and novelist (LIFE IS FINE, SWEET THANG, HOLLYWOOD AND MAINE all from Random House). She lives in Philadelphia.

Indiana Voice Journal June 2015 Issue #11

NATURAL FORCE CREW, MILAN, ITALY. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES LAWLESS.

Happy Father's Day this month to all you incredible guys out there. Whether you've helped birth a child, a story, an idea, or a poem...you are a Papa. In this issue we're thrilled to be dancing in the streets of Milan with James Lawless aka"Teach" and the B-Boy's Natural Force and Open Road Crews. If that doesn't get your adrenaline flowing, fly on over to BB Riefner's multi-generational poem Circus Song and catch a view from the high-wire, or slow dance with Sheehan as he honors the muse in A Salutation to Saugus, Embassy of the Second Muse. In a more thoughtful, or reflective mood? Visit a Japanese restaurant with poet John Grey as he shows us This Is How Exactly, or ponder The Holiness of Minute Particulars with author James Owens. Want to explore some weightier matters? DB Cox wonders about Treyvon Who?, and Raymond Greiner reminds us why Falling Back To Butterflies is necessary. Need a little romance? Check out Decker by A.D. Ellis, Leaf In The Wind by Charles E.J. Moulton, and the romantically humorous Freddie by Steve Slavin in The Wedding Date. Okay, I could go on and on about all the great stuff in this issue, but I'll stop here. Enjoy the read!
~Janine Pickett

POETRY

Two Poems By DB Cox: Before Nightfall

A Poem By Jonathan Dick: Renting The Moon

Three Poems By Dorian Dyler: And I Became

Three Poems By Dallas Gorbett: In Another World

Three Poems By John Grey: Sunset, Santa Cruz County

Three Poems By Lewis R. Humphries: Kindling

Three Poems By Steven Jacobson: Kitty-Kat

Two Poems By Richard Kostelanetz: Mirror Stories

Three Poems By Milton Montague: Gift

Three Poems By JoyAnne O'Donnell: Springs Window

Three Poems By James Owens: Broken

Three Poems By BB Riefner: Circus Song

Four Poems By G. David Schwartz: I Knew A Girl Named Martha

Three Poems By Tom Sheehan: For One Woman Raised on High (haibun) (or Love behind the Door)

A Poem By Jorge Vazquez Jr: We Are Defined By Our Shadows

Three Poems By Dr. Mel Waldman: My Father, Tell Me about the Afterlife

CNF/ESSAYS

Essay By Raymond Greiner: Falling Back To Butterflies

Essay By James Lawless: B-Boys In Milan, Italy

Essay By Tom Sheehan: A Salutation to Saugus, Embassy of the 2nd Muse

Essay By Kathryn Streeter: What Shakespeare Taught Me About Family

FICTION

A Novel Excerpt by A.D. Ellis: Decker

Fiction By Liz Flaherty: Roll Back The Clouds

Fiction By Jason Constantine Ford: A Choice Between Two Rivals

Fiction By Sharon R. Hill: Life in Silhouette

Flash Fiction By Belinda Hubert: Paul

Fiction By Jim Kjeldsen: The Giant Gila Monster

Fiction By Alex Mantel: An Apologia For Boarding School

Fiction By Charles E.J. Moulton: Leaf In The Wind

Fiction By Sunil Kumar Poudyal: Hardship

Fiction By BB Riefner: A Brush With Reality In The Key Of B-Flat Minor

Fiction By Barbara Kinsey Sable: He Made Me Laugh

Fiction By Steve Slavin: The Wedding Date

Two Poems By DB Cox: Before Nightfall

DB Cox is a blues musician/writer from South Carolina. His poems and short stories have been published extensively in the small press, in the US, and abroad. His first collection of short stories called “Unaccustomed Mercy,” published by Studio Books, is available at the Amazon Kindle Store.

Jonathan Dick is a 21 year old human being from Toronto, Canada. He is graduating this year from Huron University College with a major in English Language and Literature. In the summer, Jonathan will be traveling with his beautiful girlfriend across Europe, as they dream the dreams they had forgotten. Twitter: @jjdickyboy

Three Poems By Dorian Dyler: And I Became

Three By Italian Poet, Dorian Dyler

And I Became, I'll Have Breakfast, and Shooting Stars

Dallas's short fiction "Flittery" appeared in the Nov. 2014 edition of Indiana Voice Journal. He also had three short stories appear in a local anthology, Stories and Poems of the OLLI Writers. Although he currently lives in Mississippi, he feels his Hoosier sense of humor comes out in his poetry.

Three Poems By John Grey: Sunset, Santa Cruz County

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident. Recently published in New Plains Review, Mudfish and Spindrift with work upcoming in South Carolina Review, Gargoyle, Sanskrit and Louisiana Literature.

Three Poems By Lewis R. Humphries: Kindling

Lewis is a professional writer and blogger based in Birmingham, UK. He also has a passion for creative writing, and has featured in magazines throughout the UK, U.S. and Oceania.

KINDLING

Ribbons of sallow light,

they stream from single bulb heads,

and gild the hour

of 3 am.

His fragmentary masterpiece,

due homage to her remembrance,

now tendered by

the sleight of hand.

Steven Jacobson was born and raised in the Midwest. He has attended multiple classes from the Loft Literary Center, promoting all levels of creative writing. His goal is to write a second book, the first book called “Spiritual Gait” was published in 2014.

Two Poems By Richard Kostelanetz: Mirror Stories

Individual entries on Richard Kostelanetz’s work appear in various editions of Readers Guide to Twentieth-Century Writers, Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature, Contemporary Poets, Contemporary Novelists, Postmodern Fiction, Webster's Dictionary of American Writers, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Directory of American Scholars, Who's Who in America, NNDB.com, Wikipedia.com, and Britannica.com, among other distinguished directories. http://richardkostelanetz.com

His eBooks are available on Kindle -- http://amzn.to/udj8TI

Three Poems By Milton Montague: Gift

milt montague, born in new york in 1924, survived Great Depression, school, world war 2. fell in love, married, raised three wonderful daughters, retired. back at college poetry was his new love. recently 33 of his poems were published by 12 different magazines.

JoyAnne O'Donnell is a poet living in Maryland. She enjoys mountain hiking, swimming. The scenery of nature inspires her poetry.

James Owens lives in Wabash, Indiana. Two books of his poems have been published: An Hour is the Doorway (Black Lawrence Press) and Frost Lights a Thin Flame (Mayapple Press). His poems, stories, translations, and photographs appear widely in literary journals, including recent or upcoming publications in Superstition Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review, The Cresset, Poetry Ireland Review, and The Stinging Fly.

B. B. Riefner wrote with chalk on blackboards; then, with a 1918 typewriter on tailgates and picnic tables in South America, Europe and Africa. Today he and his wife live near Washington D.C. with a canine muse and a computer which must be fed daily.

www.bbriefner.com

www.travelswiththebear.blogspot.com

Four Poems By G. David Schwarz: I Knew A Girl Named Martha

G. David Schwarz - the former president of Seedhouse, the online interfaith committee. Schwartz is the author of A Jewish Appraisal of Dialogue and Midrash and Working Out Of The Book Currently a volunteer at the Cincinnati J Meals on Wheels, Schwarz continues to write.

His latest book is Shards And Verse (2011, Publish America).

Names are not real people

Sheehan has 28 Pushcart nominations. In the Garden of Long Shadows and The Nations (Native American fiction collection), were recently published by Pocol Press with solid reviews (see Serving House Journal.) Now in the Pocol production cycle are Where Skies Grow Wide, Cross Trails, Between Mountain and River and The Cowboys, the last five titles from Pocol Press are all western short story collections. In addition, a new collection, Sons of Guns, Inc. was just released (print and eBook) by Nazar Look Books in Romania and is on Amazon.

A Poem By Jorge Vazquez Jr: We Are Defined By Our Shadows

I'm a Mexican American amateur writer/poet with the dream of being professionally published. I come from the small town of Whiting, IN in between Chicago, IL and Gary, IN. Through the help of my high school librarian, Jean Lovasko, I have been published by small publishers and I have received an honorable mention award for the Art & Writing contest of the 2013 year. Even if I never become as well known as J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, or George R.R. Martin, I plan on writing for as long as I can. ~Jorge Vazquez Jr.

Three Poems By Dr. Mel Waldman: My Father, Tell Me about the Afterlife

Dr. Mel Waldman is a psychologist, poet, and writer. He is a past winner of the literary GRADIVA AWARD in Psychoanalysis and was nominated for a PUSHCART PRIZE in literature. He is the author of 11 books.

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 book, a collection of fiction and nonfiction essays titled Hinterland Journal was recently published by Outskirts Press. Raymond lives in a remote area of southern Indiana in a cabin far off a lightly traveled road with his two dogs Orion and Venus. He is a frequent contributor to Indiana Voice Journal.

CNF By James Lawless: B-Boys In Milan, Italy

James Lawless, a north American English teacher, is a former co-editor of an underground college newspaper, a history graduate from a foreign university and a published author. He's currently living near Milan Italy.

"TOPROCK"

B-BOYS IN MILAN ITALY
By James Lawless

MAKE US HAPPY

Breakers in Italy, like breakers all over the world, don't want to be called break dancers. "That's a media term; we're B-boys!," A breaker told me in the street near Duomo Square in Milan.

Sheehan has 28 Pushcart nominations. In the Garden of Long Shadows and The Nations (Native American fiction collection) were recently published by Pocol Press with solid reviews in Serving House Journal. Now in the Pocol production cycle are Where Skies Grow Wide, Cross Trails, Between Mountain and River and The Cowboys, the last five titles from Pocol Press are all western short story collections. In addition, a new collection, Sons of Guns, Inc. was just released (print and eBook) by Nazar Look Books in Romania and is on Amazon.

Kathryn Streeter’s writing has appeared in publications including Mamalode, BLUNTmoms, elephant journal and CSMonitor. The Briar Cliff Review, Volume 26 includes Streeter’s essay, a finalist in their Creative Nonfiction Contest. Connect with Kathryn on her website or on Twitter @streeterkathryn.

In January, our family left our charming Mass Ave condo in Indianapolis and now reside in Austin, Texas.

About the Author

A.D. Ellis is the author of A Torey Hope Novel Series and a new series titled Torey Hope: The Later Years. Her 2014 debut novel, For Nicky, was voted #3 of the Top 50 Indie Books of 2014 by ReadFree.ly readers/voters. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Indiana Romance Writers of America.

Fiction By Liz Flaherty: Roll Back The Clouds

About The Author

I'm Liz Flaherty. I live in the cornfields of Indiana with my husband of—gasp—40 years and I write romance. The genre has changed over the years, as I have, and my writing feels more like Women's Fiction to me than straight romance, but the truth is I always have a heroine, a hero, and a happy ending. When I'm not writing, I sew, making quilts for my grandkids, the Magnificent Seven.

Liz is a multi-published author with Harlequin, The Wild

Rose Press and Carina Press.

Visit Liz on the web here.

Check out Liz's books here.

Jason Constantine Ford is from Perth in W.A, Australia. He works at a book shop and has over ninety publications of poetry and fiction in various literary magazine, ezines and journals from around the world. Edgar Alan Poe and William Blake are his main influences.

Fiction By Sharon R. Hill: Life in Silhouette

Life in Silhouette

"You'll never amount to anything anyway." her father told Patsy when she was just six years old. She’d been told he was drunk, but she was too young to understand what that meant. Patsy regretted allowing herself to be noticed by him and yearned to instantly return to her solitary life as a shadow, or a mere silhouette, in the life of her father, Max Willett. Her pint-sized physical frame absorbed the callous delivery of each word and the intended fear and shame.

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

Fiction By Jim Kjeldsen: The Giant Gila Monster

M.J. Kjeldsen writes under the name Marvin Redblood. He is author of the non-fiction book THE MOUNTAINEERS: A HISTORY and the fiction book A FLASH ON THE RIVER, as well as numerous novels and short stories. He lives with his we-wife and dog in Red Wing, Minnesota.

Alex grew up in New York City and attended University of Virginia's Young Writer's Workshop. He has been previously published in the Winter Poetry Anthology of Jaded Ibis Press.

Sunil Kumar Poudyal is a poet, writer and journalist from Nepal (Country of Mt. Everest-South Asia).

Hardship

It was the middle of the first month of fall drizzling outside with a gentle breeze. The leaves of some trees had slowly started to change their color. Squirrels were not busy jumping, playing and collecting nuts. They were hiding somewhere. Few birds were seen in the sky. Suddenly an idea clicked in my mind. I wanted to eat meat.

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

www.bbriefner.com

www.travelswiththebear.blogspot.com

Fiction By Barbara Kinsey Sable: He Made Me Laugh

Barbara Kinsey Sable: Retired professor from the University of Colorado, College of Music. I have published many academic articles including a text book: The Vocal Sound, poetry over many years and short stories.

A recovering economics professor, Steve Slavin earns a living writing math and economics books.

The Wedding Date

Diane is one of my best friends. We hang out, talk on the phone, go out to dinner occasionally, but that’s it. So don’t go getting any ideas. Yeah, she’s very attractive, smart, a lot of fun to be with, but we always been and always will be strictly platonic.

#ThanksDave and Happy Retirement David Letterman

May 15, 2015

"The Kings" A Poem By Blues Guitarist DB Cox In Honor Of BB King

Legendary Blues Guitarist BB King

the kings

there’s a decaying piano

in “the graveyard bar”

that nobody plays

whenever i feel

like i’m starting

to disappear

into the chorus

of gray-faced patrons

mumbling conspiracy claims

into their beer

i wander over

to the keyboard

& bend my ear

toward the strings

INDIANA VOICE JOURNAL MAY 2015 ISSUE #10

Anna Pavlova as a Bacchante, by John Lavery 1911 PD

Grit and Grace. I am captivated by the emotional depth, strength, and honesty expressed in the thirty-two features embedded in this issue of Indiana Voice Journal. The stories, poems, and artwork, all created by women, add to the richness with which we can explore our inner lives, our fears, our faith, our connectedness. As storytellers, and as women, we've been given a great gift and an even greater responsibility. To teach, nurture, heal, protect, and love. To touch hearts, to change lives, and to stand united against social and cultural injustices in our societies, circles, families, and tribes.

I deeply regret not being able to use every piece submitted for this issue, mostly because of space requirements, but keep singing. Keep submitting. Keep telling your stories...♥

~Janine Pickett, Editor

“There’s no greater agony than carrying around an untold story inside yourself.”
— Maya Angelou

FEATURED CONTENT:

POETRY

Prerna Bakshi: Three poems, "A Tale Of Round Rotis "

Elizabeth Brooks: "You may applaud now!"

Cara Losier Chanoine: Three Poems, “Elegy for Boots”

Kika Dorsey: Three poems, "Yggdrasil"

Lubaba Faisal: "The Mirror Play"

Krista Genevieve Farris: Three Poems, "First Grade Secret Santa Gift from a Boy I Might Have Loved"

Allison Grayhurst: Three Poems, "Crystal dark"

Belinda Hubert: Four Poems, "Easy Mom"

Christina Johnson: Three Poems, "The Soul"

Becca Lamarre: Three Poems, "Every Time I Push Through a Door"

Jessica Wiseman Lawrence: Three Poems, "Lie"

Sylvia McCullough: Three Poems, "The Deer"

Carol Moon: "A Kiss That Surpasses All Understanding"

E.F. Schraeder: Three Poems, "Creative Thought"

Cecilia Soprano: Two Poems, "The Rocking Horse"

Lisa Strohl: "A Secret Love Poem"

Sarah Thursday: Three Poems, "What I Mean When I Say Run"

Rachel Watson: Three Poems, “Dinah’s Dream”

Hiromi Yoshida: Three Poems, "Last Supper in Terre Haute"

FICTION/FLASH

Judy Beaston: "Selfies With Willa"

Elizabeth Challinor: "Seasons" and "A Tale From Inside"

DH Hanni: "Training Day"

Gwendolyn Kiste: "Violet The Baker"

Carolyn Smuts: "Thirty Years Gone"

Carroll Susco: "Jane Seymour (Henry VIII’s wife, not the actress)"

Doni York: "The Sunflower Artist"

A NOVEL EXCERPT

Patty Fischer: A Novel Excerpt "Insect Politics"

CREATIVE NONFICTION/ESSAYS

J.C. Elkin: Memoir "Encore"

Nancy Lane: Essay "My Mother's Crown"

Amanda Noble: CNF "Kasamas"

Michelle Reinhold: CNF "You Hope"

Carol Smallwood: Essay "Old Black and White Films"

Cecilia Soprano: Nonfiction & Visual Art "Lincoln The Crow"

~Scroll down to browse~

Prerna Bakshi: Three poems, including, "A Tale Of Round Rotis "

Prerna Bakshi is a sociolinguist, research scholar and writer of Indian origin, currently based in Macao. She has contributed essays and articles to a variety of publications including The Hindu, CounterCurrents, Amar Ujala, and Desh Bandhu to name a few. Her poetry has been published in Linden Avenue Literary Journal, Indiana Voice Journal, Red Fez, peer reviewed journals such as Muse India, Postcolonial Text and is forthcoming in Hysteria, Grey Sparrow Journal, and several publications.

She could be reached at: [email protected] or found on Twitter: @bprerna

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