Aurelia of the Crows
This piece is the winner of the The River’s 2018 Dramatic Works Contest! AURELIA OF THE CROWS by Carter Aimone The setting is 1900 New York and centers on the … Continue Reading Aurelia of the Crows
Prompts for Every Genre!
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies for … Continue Reading Prompts for Every Genre!
The Door
This piece is a runner up in The River’s 2018 Dramatic Works Contest. THE DOOR by Hannah Calkin Characters: ALLISON MILLS: Late 20s. Plain, eccentric, anxious. JASON FISHER: Mid … Continue Reading The Door
The Revision Process and Knowing When Your Work is Done
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies for … Continue Reading The Revision Process and Knowing When Your Work is Done
Radical Kinship
by Amy Baskin —dedicated to the staff of Homeboy Industries and Fr. Greg Boyle Tell me again all about my roots. Swab my cheeks. Can you see my … Continue Reading Radical Kinship
Breaking Boundaries: The Relationship between Writer and Genre
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies for … Continue Reading Breaking Boundaries: The Relationship between Writer and Genre
Adoration
by Gale Acuff When Miss Hooker calls on me to tell her and my classmates here in Sunday School just who killed the giant Goliath with his sling I answer Jesus and everyone laughs. No, … Continue Reading Adoration
Reading Across Genre
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies for … Continue Reading Reading Across Genre
The Green Line perseveres
by Amy Baskin —for Ricky Best, Taliesin Namkai-Meche, Micah Fletcher and the young women they defended on on the train in Portland, Oregon on May 26th, 2017 notice how platforms … Continue Reading The Green Line perseveres
What Writers can learn from Role-Playing Games
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies for … Continue Reading What Writers can learn from Role-Playing Games
The Scream
by Caitlin Waltz “The color shrieked.” -Edvard Munch I walk along a bridge with no beginning and no end, the sunset reflected in the faded streaks of color in the … Continue Reading The Scream
The Cat and the Ox: Finding Your Process and Staying Engaged
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies for … Continue Reading The Cat and the Ox: Finding Your Process and Staying Engaged
Place: Writing What You Know
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies for … Continue Reading Place: Writing What You Know
Dark Night, Bright Sky
by Tamar Anolic It was winter when Father Cillian O’Leary realized he had lost his faith. He spent the morning in penance, trying to get his whip across … Continue Reading Dark Night, Bright Sky
3 Reasons to Submit Your Work
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies … Continue Reading 3 Reasons to Submit Your Work
Rimbaud’s Last Stand
by Rick Viar Porters unlash you after the desert, your breathing a brittle, sweat-faded book you decide you’ll keep. It is time to be forgiven for lies, absinthe, … Continue Reading Rimbaud’s Last Stand
What Does your Character Want?
by Willy Doehring, River co-editor The “Writer’s Workshop” blog posts are meant to be a collage of writer’s tips, tricks, and strategies, including the first steps to publishing, writing prompts, strategies … Continue Reading What Does your Character Want?
A User’s Guide to Escaping the Chimney
by Jonathan Sload Admit that you’re stuck in the chimney. Stop using the phrases “sliding down” and “squeezing through.” You stopped doing those ten minutes ago. Stop … Continue Reading A User’s Guide to Escaping the Chimney
The New Editors of Spring 2018
A new season is here, and with it comes a new wave of submissions along with the introduction of the Spring 2018 editors. We’re both looking forward to publishing new … Continue Reading The New Editors of Spring 2018
Creepin’ It Real: Oni
Every culture has its demon folklore. One that I find rather interesting to think about is the Japanese Oni. The Oni are an icon of Japanese folklore. The root of … Continue Reading Creepin’ It Real: Oni
A Mad Tea Party
By Ciera Miller You’re lost in the Tulgey Wood, a feline keeps taunting you with its gleaming grin, and you just can’t find the white rabbit with the pocket watch … Continue Reading A Mad Tea Party
Mockery on the Open Road
by Kyle Heger
Kandahar
by Alex Miller
Mount Everest Longs For the Moon
By Jonathan Travelstead for Tamara I know your face’s stone ash when it circles close. Your furthest ellipse has so long tugged my peak with gravity’s black hand … Continue Reading Mount Everest Longs For the Moon
Creepin’ It Real: The Wendigo
Associated with the North, winter, cold, famine, and starvation, the Wendigo has allegedly haunted the woods of the Great Lakes region, and along the Atlantic coast. Something that once was … Continue Reading Creepin’ It Real: The Wendigo
Kaffeekantate—Coffee Cantata
By Ciera Miller Coffee has always been very high ranking in my own mind, but I always thought it was a matter of my own opinion to drink the sweet, … Continue Reading Kaffeekantate—Coffee Cantata
Trunk Touching
By Carol Hamilton It was too much after all that longing, finally a trip to the real circus. The years of dashing down our street to watch animal cages and … Continue Reading Trunk Touching
Creepin’ It Real: A Brief History of European Gothic Literature
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” -Macbeth, Act 4, Scene 1 Where does the horror genre come from? Why, when we hear the word “horror,” do we think of vampires and werewolves? Why do … Continue Reading Creepin’ It Real: A Brief History of European Gothic Literature
The Cafe Scene
The year is 2737 BC. The former Chinese emperor Shen Nung wanders the southern countryside in search of herbs and berries to mix into his water. His stomach aches with … Continue Reading The Cafe Scene
Hello from your Spring 2019 River Editors!
The winter ice is melting into the River and revealing the reflections of two new editors! We are Ciera Miller, a double major in Creative Writing and International and Global … Continue Reading Hello from your Spring 2019 River Editors!
Restless in the Moonlight
By Abbey Schlanz Abbey Schlanz is an Ohio native currently living in Madison, Wisconsin. She dabbles in various forms of writing and art and has previously had work published in Ohio’s … Continue Reading Restless in the Moonlight
M’s Awakening
By J L Higgs The screen door slammed, shaking the whole house. Dad was breathing fire. He’d been out front planting rose bushes. Now dirt was strewn on Mom’s freshly … Continue Reading M’s Awakening
A Friday Farewell
By Robert Drinkwater As the semester comes to a close, it is time to finish finals, pack up, and head home for winter break. My time as an editor for … Continue Reading A Friday Farewell
The River Stalled for Winter Break
It’s that time of year again. As the semester wraps up, our time as River editors is coming to an end. This means that since the semester is ending, blog … Continue Reading The River Stalled for Winter Break
Podcast Contest Cancelled
Apologies to everyone who was interested, but The River is unfortunately cancelling our podcast contest. If you would still like to submit a podcast for normal publication on The River, … Continue Reading Podcast Contest Cancelled