CategoryThe River

The River is a representation of the Sandy River itself, which runs alongside the university and what inspired the name of the journal. It is a constantly flowing, ebbing and surging, body of content filled with contemporary work. To submit to The River please visit our Submissions page to the left or e mail TheRiverEditors@gmail.com directly.

Posted March 2, 2021 Fiction

Reckless

By William Cass When I was a little boy, I lived for a short time with my uncle’s family while my mom, his younger sister, spent a stint in rehab. … Continue Reading Reckless

Posted February 25, 2021 Nonfiction

What Would Houdini Do?

By Jan Zlotnik Schmidt (with thanks to Judy, who asked the question) “Man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea. If he … Continue Reading What Would Houdini Do?

Posted February 23, 2021 Poetry

Mrs. Hardy

By Steven M. Smith in memory of my grandparents’ house cleaner Oh, rubber-gloved heroineof my grandparents’ household!Hair and freckles the color of ripestrawberries. Diminutive, feistymatriarch of the O-Cedar sponge mopand … Continue Reading Mrs. Hardy

Posted February 19, 2021 Fiction

Four-Leaf Clover

By Zhihui Zou It was a peaceful hilltop covered by clovers, three-leaf clovers. But that spring, a four-leaf clover grew from a seed that had traveled over in the wind … Continue Reading Four-Leaf Clover

Posted February 12, 2021 Nonfiction

The Empty Nest: Pandemic Winter

By Jan Zlotnik Schmidt On a winter day I watch my golden doodle, Rufus, amble across the snow-crusted lawn, just a trace coating flattened, dead grass and stray stalks of … Continue Reading The Empty Nest: Pandemic Winter

Posted January 12, 2021 Poetry

Apparent Pause

by: John Zedolik For the past four years, John Zedolik has been an adjunct English instructor at a number of universities in and around Pittsburgh. He has published poems in … Continue Reading Apparent Pause

Posted January 11, 2021 Poetry

Hindsight

by: Aaron Sandberg Aaron Sandberg still plays his Sega Genesis. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in West Trade Review, Asimov’s, The Offing, Sporklet, Lowestoft Chronicle, Abridged, Giallo, Right … Continue Reading Hindsight

Posted January 11, 2021 Poetry

Trespass

by: Aaron Sanberg Aaron Sandberg still plays his Sega Genesis. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in West Trade Review, Asimov’s, The Offing, Sporklet, Lowestoft Chronicle, Abridged, Giallo, Right … Continue Reading Trespass

Posted January 8, 2021 Poetry

Ladies’ Night Out

by: Scott Waters Venus and the moonwent out last nightto set the sky on fire. I saw them in the morning–two laughing, dissipated,revived old girlstottering home acrossa wide black street,thumbing … Continue Reading Ladies’ Night Out

Posted January 8, 2021 Poetry

Blanket

by: Scott Waters From the windowof our warm kitchenthe eastern skyblushes like the cheek of the young womanin the pink parkawho spent the nightleaning against a telephone poleacross the streeta … Continue Reading Blanket

Posted January 8, 20211 Comment Fiction

Ghost Stories

by: Rylan Hynes The children were older than they looked, crouched down behind the iron fence surrounding the graveyard on a hill. Here, at the crown of the small town, … Continue Reading Ghost Stories

Posted January 6, 2021 Photography

Alice sifflant un air d’hiver

by: Adèle Saint-Pierre Adèle Saint-Pierre is a Franco-American artist. Originally from Maine, she currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Posted January 6, 2021 Photography

le vent dans le dos

by: Adèle Saint-Pierre Adèle Saint-Pierre is a Franco-American artist. Originally from Maine, she currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Posted January 6, 2021 Photography

Albertine et Mariette, les cousines dites irlandaises

by: Adèle Saint-Pierre Adèle Saint-Pierre is a Franco-American artist. Originally from Maine, she currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Posted January 6, 2021 Fiction

Through His Lens

by: E.B. Taylor Claudette went to the Halloween party as a slutty nurse, the only costume she could find at the last minute, and ate canape in the corner as … Continue Reading Through His Lens

Posted January 4, 2021 Fiction

“For You, Birdie”

by: Karen Schauber We were dirt poor back then. We used to imagine being anywhere else but Poêlée Bayou; a low down nowhere town, with nowhere people, and nowhere jobs, … Continue Reading “For You, Birdie”