by Shannon Frost Greenstein “I love you!” My friends laughed as only sixteen year-olds can, but I wasn’t embarrassed. My mother and I were as close as any single parent … Continue Reading Abandon All Faith Ye Who Enter Here
by Lynne Schmidt By the time your name has made headlines they have already pulled your body from the wreckage. Comments pour in— condolences mixed with seasons greetings and collective … Continue Reading “Solstice” (Winter Contest Winner)
by Nik Shultz I’ve never loved autumn like I did this year Turning over the leaves with gentle kicks Harvesting the fruit of years While fresh growth keeps going Even … Continue Reading “As Winter Arrives” (Winter Contest Honorable Mention)
by Hafsa Mumtaz (Author’s Note: This poem is inspired by the painting Midnight (1979) by Pakistan’s most famous female artist, Zubeida Agha. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/zubeida-agha-midnight ) “Snippets of You” an excrescence of … Continue Reading “Snippets of You”
by Francine Witte “After You” “The Front of Heartache” Francine Witte’s books include Dressed All Wrong for This, The Way of the Wind, and The Theory of Flesh. Her newest chapbook “The Cake, … Continue Reading “After You” and “The Front of Heartache”
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?
Angelina Martin is a poet, comedian, and waitress who lives in Austin, Texas. She has been published in such literary journals as Okay Donkey Mag, Crêpe & Penn Quarterly, and Sea Foam Mag as well as in … Continue Reading distracted
Alan Cohen has been composing poems for decades. He was poetry editor of his high school magazine; edited The Beast in a Cage of Words, a book of poems about nuclear weapons, … Continue Reading Travel
By, Molly McGrane Molly is an author and photographer published by The Voices Project, Fishfood Magazine, Pidgeonholes Magazine, and TED.com (“The Value of Dysfunction”). She interns at Talking Writing Magazine where her … Continue Reading No, They Don’t Have HIV
by Melissa Knopp, Horror Flash Fiction 1st Place Contest Winner Agnes’ dream had been loud. She opened her eyes to a sudden quiet, an abrupt stillness that made her fingers … Continue Reading Agnes
by Colton Park, Horror Flash Fiction 2nd Place Contest Winner It may appear very strange, but what lay before you is an imminent destiny shared by those who frolic in … Continue Reading The Truth
by John Pich, Horror Flash Fiction 3rd Place Contest Winner You get a text early on in the night. It’s your buddy, Joe. “Zombies on Main St.” Yeah? It’s Halloween. … Continue Reading Inevitable
Those of us at The River would like to thank all of you who sent in your work for our fall contest. We enjoyed reading this round of competition immensely … Continue Reading Horror Flash Fiction Contest Winners!
by Lowell Warren Ever since the start of quarantine, I’ve seen numerous posts on social media about how Shakespeare wrote his famous play King Lear under quarantine during the bubonic … Continue Reading Art in Isolation
by Daniel Patrick Daniel Lance Patrick is a poet, songwriter and musician. His poems, music and lyrics have appeared in print, record albums, CD’s, and television. He won an Emmy … Continue Reading From That Way The Trains Came
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