Three Poems by Shirley Jones-Luke: "Inquiry," "Question," and "Visible from Space."

Shirley Jones-Luke is a poet, writer and educator from Boston, Massachusetts.
She has an MA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing and is an Emerson College alum.
When not writing, she enjoys browsing bookstores, visiting art galleries and making jewelry.

One Poem by Wayne Russell: "The Grand Finale (nothing matters)"

Wayne Russell is a creative writer born and raised in Florida, and, even though his travels have carried him around the world, some strange force keeps pulling him back again. He has been published in Nomadic Voices Magazine, Zaira Journal, The Bitchin' Kitschs', and others. 

Three Poems by Ken Allan Dronsfield: "A Comely Dare," "The Long White Path," and "Of Sky and Blood."

Ken Allan Dronsfield is a Published Poet and Author originally from New Hampshire, now residing in Oklahoma. He enjoys the outdoors, playing guitar 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 Journals, Magazines and Blogs throughout the Web including: Indiana Voice Journal, Belle Reve Journal, Peeking Cat Magazine, Dead Snakes, Bewildering Stories and many others.

One Poem by Adam Levon Brown: "S" for Save My City

Adam Levon Brown is a poet and student residing in Eugene, Oregon.
He enjoys the outdoors, meeting new people, and playing with cats.
You can contact him via Facebook or at his blog at: www.AdamLevonBrown.com

Three Poems by Tony Brewer: "Agents," "¿Dónde está el baño?," and "Fifth World Problems."

Tony Brewer is a poet, spoken word performer, screenwriter, and sound effects artist from Bloomington, Indiana. He is chair of the Writers Guild at Bloomington (www.writersguildbloomington.com) and Executive Director of the Spoken Word Stage at the 4th Street Arts Festival, as well a member of the poetry performance troupe Reservoir Dogwoods. He is also a regular reader and literary consultant for Books Unbound on WFHB community radio (wfhb.org/booksunbound). Tony has three books of poetry: The Great American Scapegoat (2006), Little Glove in a Big Hand (Plan B Press, 2010), and Hot Type Cold Read (Chatter House Press, 2013).

Visual Art by Portrait Artist Gretchen Ford

Gretchen Ford is a Los Angeles based portrait artist. She uses a variety of techniques/mediums to create her paintings and artwork. Spray Paint, Graphite, Color, Landscapes, Animals...you can see more of Gretchen's art here:  http://www.gretchensportraits.com/

Flash Fiction by Raima Larter: "Deathwatch"

Before moving to the metro DC area, Raima Larter was a college chemistry professor in Indiana who secretly wrote fiction and tucked it away in a drawer. Since moving to Washington to work for the government, she has taken lots of workshops and is now sending those stories out. Her work has appeared in Gargoyle, Writers Journal and the Grace and Gravity anthology series. She’s published one short story collection, The Gate of Heaven and Other Story Worlds. She teaches yoga these days, instead of science, and is nearing completion of her MA in Writing at Johns Hopkins.   RaimaLarter.com

Fiction by Howard Richard Debs: "The Watch in the Pawnshop"

Howard Richard Debs is a poet, writer, photographer, sometime artist, musician, singer/songwriter. At age 19 he received a University of Colorado Poetry Prize; after some 50 years in the field of communications with recognitions including a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Educational Press Association of America, he resumed his creative pursuits. A finalist and recipient of the 2015 Anna Davidson Rosenberg Poetry Awards, his latest work appears in Blue Bonnet Review, Yellow Chair Review, Crack The Spine, Silver Birch Press, InkStain Press, Scarlet Leaf Review, and Clear Poetry Magazine 2015 Anthology, among others. 
Author listing Poets & Writers Directory: https://www.pw.org/content/howard_debs
Author website: http://communicatorsandcommunications.com/muse-ings/

Fiction by Muhammad Nasrullah Khan: "The Last Storyteller"

"Muhammad Nasrullah Khan is from Pakistan currently living in Saudi Arabia, where he is Lecturer in English at Taif University. Writing is his passion and teaching his profession. His 15 years of experience in the field of writing has honed his capacity to compose basic fascinating stories about the human experience. Enlivened by the stories of great English and Russian writers, he has taken a pinch of fact and a cup of fiction to weave an embroidered creative work of adoration, trust, and agony in his stories. His work has appeared in Indiana Voice Journal,Newtopia Magazine, Gowanus Books,Offcourse literary Journal University at Albany, The Raven Chronicles, and many others. He exists on twitter as @nasar_peace ,at [email protected], [email protected], and https://www.facebook.com/nasar.peace "

Fiction by Nicholas Bridgman: "To Know"

Nicholas Bridgman holds two bachelor’s degrees from U.C. Berkeley in Rhetoric and Ecology.  He currently lives in Southern California. His website is at http://www.nicholasbridgman.com, Facebook author page is at https://www.facebook.com/nbridgmanauthor/, and Facebook personal page is at https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.bridgman.3.

Fiction by Raymond Greiner: "Finding Level"

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. 

Fiction by Charles E.J. Moulton: "Those Who Still Incarnate"

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

Fiction by Bill Pruitt: "Damnation"

I am a fiction writer, storyteller and poet, and an Assistant Editor with Narrative Magazine. I have published poems in such places as Ploughshares, Anderbo.com and Cottonwood and in upcoming issues of Off Course, Otis Nebula and Literary Juice; two chapbooks with White Pine and FootHills; and self-published Walking Home from the Eastman House. I have told stories in various places in Rochester and upstate New York, including the National Women’s Hall of Fame. My story “My Cousin Gabe” appears in a recent issue of Crack the Spine Literary Magazine.

Essay by Jeremy DaCruz: "The Econlockhatchee River"

I am a recent graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Psychology. I am currently living in Managua, Nicaragua working at a community center for people with disabilities. My days are divided between working at the disabilities center, writing and exploring the beautiful complicated country that is Nicaragua. My work has been published in Mountain Xpress and The Drunken Odyssey.

Essay by Bernie Brown: "Pray for Me: Memories of Bible Camp at Lake Okoboji"

I am blissfully retired in Raleigh, NC where I read, write, cook, and watch birds. I have had several short stories and essays published in print and online journals, most recently Moderrn Creative Life, Clever, Tales from a Small Planet, and The Raleigh News and Observer. My most ambitious goal is to publish at least one novel in the next few years. bablossom.wix.com/bernie-brown-writer

Essay by Lynda McKinney Lambert: "Girl on a Bench Sees Visions of Butterflies"

Lynda McKinney Lambert is a retired fine arts and humanities professor from Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA.  She resides in a small village in western Pennsylvania with her husband, Bob, 6 cats and 2 dogs (all rescues). Even though our 5 children are grown and gone, the house is still full with all the little furry friends we care for.

Lynda is the author of Concerti: Psalms for the Pilgrimage, published by Kota Press. She writes articles on the humanities,  contemporary poetry and inspirational human interest stories.  Her teaching career took her to Europe  each summer where she taught  drawing and writing to college students. She also taught a course in Puerto Rico every spring semester. . Lynda lost her vision in 2007 due to Ischemic Optic Neuropathy. Many of her stories give an inner view of her personal life experiences since that life-altering event.

Lynda loves to write, knit. and travel. Lynda holds earned degrees in fine arts (BFA and MFA)  and English literature (MA). 

CNF/Essay by Toti O'Brien: "The Salmon and the Bear"

Toti O’Brien’s work has appeared in Intrinsick, Alebrijes, Entropy and Random Sample, among other journals and anthologies. More can be found at totihan.net/writer.html

May 2016, Issue #22

COVER ART-PAINTING BY ALLEN FORREST

Welcome to the May edition of IVJ. Many new and returning friends have dropped in to lend their voice to this issue, so please join us in welcoming them. I believe it is a fantastic issue full of beauty, light, growth, and truth.  To all our service members, past and present...Thank you, and Happy Memorial Day. To every person raising, nurturing, and loving our children...Thank you, and Happy Mother's Day! 

A special thanks to Allen Forrest for contributing his georgous painting for our cover page. 

A Mother's Day Special Essay and an invitation from Elizabeth Brooks: "The Call of the Child"

POETRY

Sheika A, David Bankson, Mary E. Bone, Douglas G. Campbell, Edilson A. Ferreira, Geosi Gyasi, Joan Higuchi, Damien Irwin, Dr. Emory Jones, Lynda McKinney Lambert, Mankh, Alice Jane-Marie Massa, Carole Mertz, Milton Montague, Shirley Pearson, Sunil Sharma, Tom Sheehan, Casey Vittimberga 

VISUAL ART

 Allen Forrest

NON-FICTION/ESSAY/MEMOIR
 
Elizabeth Brooks, Bruce F. Rosen, Bill Vernon

FICTION

J. Andrew Goss, Belinda Hubert, Jacqueline Masumian, Patric Mauzy, Philip E. Temples

Three Poems by Sheika A: "Blue Dawn at Koh Samui", "Fire at Koh Samui", "One cannot write about shadows"

Sheikha A. is from Pakistan and United Arab Emirates. Her work appears in a variety of literary venues across quarter-ways of the globe, that can be accessed on her blog sheikha82.wordpress.com

Three Poems By David Bankson: "How to Live Off the Land", "Driftwood", "I am a War Criminal"

David is a full-time autodidact with a lifelong passion for poetry, philosophy, and linguistics. His works have been featured online at Thank you for Swallowing, Walking is Still Honest, and I Am Not a Silent Poet. His greatest influences are John Ashbery and William Carlos Williams, though he's secretly quite fond of Shel Silverstein. More of his work can be found at https://www.facebook.com/davidthewordsmith