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Contributors

Alex Barr’s recent nonfiction is in Griffith Review, Stereo Stories, The Blue Nib, Sarasvati, Syncopation Literary Journal, Change Seven Magazine, Shooter Magazine, and Litro Magazine, with more forthcoming in The Phare Magazine. His short fiction collections “My Life With Eva” and “Take a Look at Me-e-e!” are published by Parthian Books and Gomer Press respectively in Wales, where he lives. His third poetry collection “Light and Dark” was published in July this year by Kelsay Books

Mark Belair’s poems have appeared in numerous journals, including Alabama Literary Review, Harvard Review, and Michigan Quarterly Review. He is the author of seven collections of poems and two works of fiction: Stonehaven (Turning Point, 2020) and its sequel, Edgewood (Turning Point, 2022).  A new collection of his poems entitled Settling In will be published soon by Kelsay Books. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize multiple times, as well as for a Best of the Net Award. Please visit www.markbelair.com

Mukut Borpujari is a graduate in English Literature and hold a Masters in Computer Application (MCA) from G.G. University, Bilashpur, CG. Based in Guwahati, Assam, INDIA, his has a plethora of poems published in top journals including The Canyon Voices Literary Magazine of the Arizona State University. He was also longlisted in this year's Erbacce-prize for poetry 2024. An active member of the Greenpeace Movement, he has a deep-rooted conviction about nature and the natural world. Apart from being an avid reader, his other hobbies include Computers & internet, and Driving. 

Sheila M. Cronin is the author of two novels: The Gift Counselor and Best of All Gifts.  Her stories have appeared in Woman's World Magazine, Good Old Days Magazine, Kaleidoscope, The Lutheran Digest, Spark, The Beverly Review, Shades of Transition and Transformation Anthology (Write Volumes, 2020) and more. Her digital collection of short stories in entitled Heart Shaped II. Please visit www.giftcounselorbook.com for more information.

Michael Daley lives in Anacortes, Washington. He's the author
of *Reinhabited: New & Selected* Poems (Dos Madres, 2022), *Telemachus*, a novel (Pleasure Boat Studio, 2022) *True Heresies* (Cervena Barva, 2022) and several other books. His poems have been published widely. "Reluctantly" is from *Ground Work*, forthcoming from Ravenna press in Edmonds, Washington. 

William Doreski lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He has taught at several colleges and universities. His most recent book of poetry is Cloud Mountain  (2024).  He has published three critical studies, including Robert Lowell’s Shifting Colors.  His essays, poetry, fiction, and reviews have appeared in various journals.

John Dorroh likes to travel and immerse himself in new cultures. He often ends up in other peoples' kitchens trading culinary stories and recipes. "Through food there is communion," is one of his mantras. His poetry has been nominated six times for Best of the Net. Hundreds of other poems appeared in over 100 journals, including Feral, River Heron, Kissing Dynamite, North Dakota Quarterly, and Ospressan. He had two chapbooks published in 2022.

Chris Drew is an Associate Professor of English at Indiana State University, where he teaches creative writing and trains future secondary English/Language Arts teachers. His essays and stories have appeared in a variety of publications, including Bellevue Literary Review, Quarterly West, Vita Poetica, River & South Review, The Sycamore Review, and Ponder Review. When he’s not teaching or writing, Chris likes to watch random streaming documentaries with his wife, play music at the local farmers market, let his daughter fill him in on the latest Taylor Swift news, and play Dungeons & Dragons online with his high school pals.

Benjamin Ebert is a minimalist writer based in New Orleans. His published work can be found in Zoetic Press’ Nonbinary Review, Samjoko Magazine, Vocivia Magazine, The Blunt Review, and others. Benjamin writes people, how they live and talk and treat each other, hoping to make known the realities they face.

Passant Eltarek is a Cairo-based writer. She is pursuing a double degree in Business Marketing and English & Comparative Literature at The American University in Cairo. Her fiction has appeared in Ligeia magazine and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize of 2023.

Sean Ewing is a visual artist whose work is deeply inspired by the natural world and the subtle interplay of light and shadow. Through his art, he seeks to capture the fleeting beauty of ephemeral moments, evoking serenity and introspection. His pieces often depict tranquil natural landscapes, offering viewers a space to pause and reflect. Sean’s art serves as an invitation to contemplation and provides a peaceful retreat from the noise and chaos of everyday life.

Jack Forbes is a writer and teacher, based in Melbourne, Australia. An emerging poet, his work has appeared internationally, including Schoolcraft College’s ‘MacGuffin,’ Eunoia Review, AAWP’s ‘Meniscus,’ The Suburban Review,Cordite Poetry Review and the inaugural issue of Haymaker Literary Journal (upcoming). Forbes is currently working on a full length poetry collection, Somewhere From

Today. 

Mike Frenkel is a retired educator. His published works range from satirical prose rants in Defenestration and The Huffington Post to reflective poetry in the Holocaust anthologies Blood To Remember and Beyond Lament. He is a son of Holocaust survivors and still dreams of one day playing for the Yankees.

 

Dennis Goza, who currently tours the world teaching English and theatre to children in under-served communities, previously was a touring educational entertainer across the U.S. for many years. While a film critic and actor in San Francisco, he was involved in the founding of the San Francisco International Fringe Festival. He had his first poem published at age 17, and won his first poetry prize at age 19. His poetry has appeared in numerous literary journals, and he has published a volume of poems, Tortoise Dances. You can follow him around the world at activatedadventures.com.

Megan Haugh studied poetry at UC Irvine—graduating with her MFA in 2014. She lives with her husband in North Park, San Diego. She loves Imagism, swimming, tarot, camping, & teaching writing.

Mark Henderson teaches English at Tuskegee University. He earned his Ph. D. at Auburn University with concentrations in American literature and psychoanalytic theory. He has poems published or forthcoming in Cozy Cat Press, From Whispers to Roars, Defenestrationism.net, Bombfire, Former People, Neologism, Broad River Review, Rune Bear, Flora Fiction, Flare, Visitant, Blood Tree Literature, The Closed Eye Open, Last Stanza Poetry Journal, Burningword, Better Than Starbucks, The Racket Journal, Torrid Literature Journal, Sunspot Lit, Writer’s Digest, W-Poesis, Red Ogre Review, Rat’s Ass Review, Poetry Super Highway, Literary Forest Magazine, Midway Journal, Apocalypse Confidential, Wilderness House Literary Review, and Oprelle. He was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, and currently resides in Auburn, Alabama.

Paul Ilechko is a British American poet and occasional songwriter who lives with his partner in Lambertville, NJ. His work has appeared in many journals, including The Bennington Review, The Night Heron Barks, Atlanta Review, Permafrost, and Pirene’s Fountain. His first book is scheduled for 2025 publication by Gnashing Teeth Publishing.  

Stephen Ives has been published or is forthcoming in Allium, Evening Street Review, Mississippi Review, Sortes, South Dakota Review, Thieving Magpie, Wisconsin Review, and Pacifica, and has been anthologized in Popular Fiction by Oregon Authors. He owned a custom homebuilding business and was an adjunct instructor at the University of Oregon Architecture Department. He is currently working on a novel about flight.

 

Randall Ivey teaches English at the University of South Carolina in Union. He has published eight books, including a forthcoming collection of stories.

Danuta E. Kosk-Kosicka is the author of two collections: Face Half-Illuminated (Apprentice House, 2014) and Oblige the Light (CityLit Press, 2015), winner of the Clarinda Harriss Poetry Prize. She is also the translator for four books by Lidia Kosk. Her work has appeared in Notre Dame Review, Spillway, Tar River Poetry, and elsewhere. Danuta serves as the Poetry Translations Editor for Loch Raven Review. Interviewed by Maryland Poet Laureate, Grace Cavalieri, for the Library of Congress “The Poet and the Poem 2020-21 Series.” She grew up in Poland; now lives in Maryland, USA. More at: danutakk.wordpress.com

Karen Malpede is author of the forthcoming Last Radiance, October 2025. She has written 22 produced plays and several influential books about the avant-garde theater. With her late partner, the actor-producer, George Bartenieff, she ran Theater Three Collaborative for thirty-five and she wrote for and directed Bartenieff in 9 productions, including OBIE winning I Will Bear Witness, the anti-torture play, Another Life, and with Kathleen Chalfant, her play Blue Valiant, filmed for youtube. http://theaterthreecollaborative.org  She is the author of essays and short fiction in TriQuarterly, Confrontations, Kenyon Review, New Theatre Quarterly, Torture Magazine, the New York Times. 

DS Maolalai has been described by one editor as "a cosmopolitan poet" and another as "prolific, bordering on incontinent". His work has nominated twelve times for Best of the Net, ten for the Pushcart and once for the Forward Prize, and has been released in three collections; "Love is Breaking Plates in the Garden" (Encircle Press, 2016), "Sad Havoc Among the Birds" (Turas Press, 2019) and “Noble Rot” (Turas Press, 2022

S. E. McCarty is a high school English teacher during the day and a reclusive poet in her spare time. She has two poetry collections: For the 31st Wife (2020) and Butter on Toast (2024) that showcase her obsession with form and the beauty of the mundane. McCarty lives in Chattanooga, TN with her husband and son.

Robert McMichael is a former humanities professor and high school English teacher, and was actively involved with the Boise State Writing Project. He’s published fiction and essays in a variety of places (Vassar Review, Wayne Literary Review, Coneflower Café, American Music, National Geographic Traveler, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Boise Journal). He lives in rural western Idaho.

Bob Meszaros taught English at Hamden High School in Hamden, Connecticut, for thirty-two years. He retired from high school teaching in June of 1999. During the 70s and 80s his poems appeared in a number of literary journals such as En Passant and Voices International. In the year 2000 he began teaching part time at Quinnipiac University, and he once again began to submit his work for publication. His poems have appeared in The Connecticut Review, Main Street Rag, Tar River Poetry, Concho River Review, The Courtship of the Winds, The Hungry Chimera, Naugatuck River Review, Valpariso Poetry Review and other literary journals. He has fully retired from teaching and is now preoccupied with his poetry and his three grandchildren.

Halima Hagi-Mohamed is a Somali-American writer whose works deals with themes of identity, culture, relationships, faith and more. She is the author of Amilah, a collection of short stories and Warda Means Rose.

Olamide Ayoade runs a self-publishing company called Penbleeds and Co. He is a runner-up of Nigerian Student Poetry Prize (NSPP) '22. Aside being a poet, he is a singer, songwriter, journalist and media practitioner. His works have appeared /forthcoming on Ake Review Vol Xi, Waccamaw Journal, Cloudscent Magazine, SprinNG, Poetry Column NND, and elsewhere. He tweets @lamideayoade and can be found on Instagram @callmelamixane

Christopher Phelps is a queer, neurodivergent poet living in Santa Fe where he tutors himself and others math and letteral arts. He is searching for others who believe poetry can be equal parts vulnerable and subversive. His poems have appeared in Beloit Poetry Journal, The Kenyon Review, The Nation, Palette Poetry, Poetry Magazine, and Zoeglossia. A chapbook, Tremblem, was semi-privately printed in 2018. More information can be found at www.christopher-phelps.com/poetry.

Janet M. Powers, Professor Emerita at Gettysburg College, has published poetry in many small journals. Her chapbook, Difficult to Subdue as the Wind, appeared in 2009. This old lady still stands with signs on street corners hoping to make sense of our sorry world. 

Hunter Prichard is a writer residing in Portland, Maine. Follow him on twitter at @huntermprichard.

Paul Rabinowitz is an author, photographer, and founder of ARTS By The People. His work appears in The Sun Magazine, New World Writing, Arcturus-Chicago Review Of Books and elsewhere. Rabinowitz’s poems and fiction are the inspiration for 8 award-winning experimental films. www.paulrabinowitz.com

Hoyt Rogers is a widely published poet, translator, and novelist. His latest collection of poems is Thresholds (MadHat 2023), his latest translation is Yves Bonnefoy's The Wandering Life (Seagull 2023), and his latest novel is Sailing to Noon (Spuyten Duyvil 2023). Please see his website, hoytrogers.com

Terry Sanville lives in San Luis Obispo, California with his artist-poet wife (his in-house editor) and two plump cats (his in-house critics). He writes full time, producing short stories, essays, and novels. His stories have been accepted more than 575 times by journals, magazines, and anthologies including The American Writers Review,Bryant Literary Review, and Shenandoah. He was nominated four times for Pushcart Prizes and once for inclusion in Best of the Net anthology. Terry is a retired urban planner and an accomplished jazz and blues guitarist – who once played with a symphony orchestra backing up jazz legend George Shearing.

Sylvia Sensiper is photographic artist, writer and advocate. Her work has been published in Intima and Next Avenue and she has contributed to academic journals including Current Psychology and Children and Youth Services Review. Her photographs were featured in a solo show at the Else Gallery at Sacramento State University in California and have been included in a number of group exhibitions. She has helped California’s former foster youth go to graduate school through a nonprofit she developed.

Ursula Shepherd lives in Ashland, Oregon after moving from the Southwest five years ago. She spent her professional life as an ecologist and biogeographer. She is the author of a book, Nature Notes: A Notebook Companion for the Seasons (Fulcrum Press) as well as essays and non-fiction pieces and recently returned to writing poetry. Her poetry has appeared in, among others, Unbroken, Grim and Gilded, Ekphrastic Review, Passionfruit, The Orchards and Sheila-Na-Gig.

Born in Washington D.C. and raised on a barrier island in New Jersey, Elizabeth Smith has cultivated a lifelong practice of patient observation and poetic engagement with the natural world as a form solace and wisdom. Recent publications include Bear Paws Journal, inaugural issue, Password, issue  1.2 and Pudding Magazine Issue 70. She has also been a featured poet in Tigers Eye Journal, Issue 24, has had a poem nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and received the New Jersey Poet’s Prize for 2022 for her poem “Callinectes Sapidus.” She lives in Nederland CO.

Michelle M. Tokarczyk, a Ukrainian-American, has published three poetry books-- Galapagos: Islas Encantadas, Bronx Migrations, and The House I'm Running From. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies an have been nominated for Pushcart and Best of the Net Awards. Tokarczyk was born and raised in a working-class family in New York City. Having taught at Goucher College in Maryland for many years, she is now retired and living in the Big Apple. To learn more about her work, see https://www.mmtokarczyk.com/

John Wagner’s work has been published in The Lyric, Blue Collar Review, Long Island Quarterly, Long Islander, O:JA&L; Open: Journal of Arts & Letters, The Phoenix, and The Round Magazine. He holds a PhD (ABD) in creative writing from University of Denver and has been a teacher at Providence College and a development director for a wide variety of organizations, including Loyola Marymount University, the Denver Symphony and Boulder Community Health. John enjoys golf, traveling, and fundraising for a variety of nonprofit organizations.

Gregg Williard's recent work can be found in Collidescope, Denver Quarterly, Bending Genre, Ergot and elsewhere. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin and has a late-night book reading hour on WORT radio (wortfm.org) He teaches ESL to refugees and immigrants.

A.D. Winans returned home from Panama in 1958 to discover the West Coast North Beach Beat scene becoming friends with Beat poets Bob Kaufman, Jack Micheline, David Meltzer, Harold Norse and later Charles Bukowski. He is the author of numerous poetry and prose books. His work has been published internationally and translated into several languages. From 1972 to 1989 he edited and published the award-winning magazine Second Coming.

VA Wiswell lives outside Seattle, WA, with her human and animal family. Her work has appeared in 34th Parallel Magazine, Ignatian Literary Magazine, The Anna, Hominum Journal, Lumina Journal, and Panoplyzine Magazine as the Editors’ Poem of Choice, The Basilisk Tree, and Figwort. She has work forthcoming in Crab Creek Review and Spry Literary Magazine. You can find her on Instagram at @vawiswell and www.vawiswell.com.

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THE COURTSHIP OF WINDS

© 2015 by William Ray

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