This New York weather has been bumming me out lately...can't we just settle on 75 and sunny every day and 60 every night? But at least we have the cool stylings of 50 to 1. This new issue, Take It There, brings you work from David Meuel, R.S. Pyne, Robin Meister, Ryan Hill, Chad Pollock, Ella Kennen and Mike Entile.
Paul will start writing a 50,000-word novel in roughly 16 days, and hasn't even started thinking about what the story will be yet.
Names by David Meuel
When Patrick and I lived together, his mother called me a whore. When we got married, she told me to call her Mom. I said I might—if she’d stop calling me a whore. Now, we don’t speak, so we don’t call each other anything.
David Meuel began writing short fiction pieces last year at the tender age of 60. To date, more than 30 of his stories have been published in 20 different e-zines. In addition to 50 to 1, these include Bartleby Snopes, Toasted Cheese and LITSNACK. David works as a freelance marketing writer for Silicon Valley companies and lives in San Jose, California.
When Patrick and I lived together, his mother called me a whore. When we got married, she told me to call her Mom. I said I might—if she’d stop calling me a whore. Now, we don’t speak, so we don’t call each other anything.
David Meuel began writing short fiction pieces last year at the tender age of 60. To date, more than 30 of his stories have been published in 20 different e-zines. In addition to 50 to 1, these include Bartleby Snopes, Toasted Cheese and LITSNACK. David works as a freelance marketing writer for Silicon Valley companies and lives in San Jose, California.
Inked by R.S. Pyne
At an old friend’s funeral, Adam looked at his faded tattoo and remembered. At ten, the swastika was just a dare; even if needles stuck in a cork was not the best method. Now the malformed design looked more nasty than Nazi. Twenty years on, his childhood seemed far away.
R. S. Pyne is a writer from Wales who lives with two good dogs and one bad one. Also a cat with plans to take over the world. Credits include: Albedo One, Aurora Wolf, Bards & Sages Quarterly, Fifth Di, Hungur, Lacuna, Neo-opsis, Silver Blade, Undead of Winter and others.
At an old friend’s funeral, Adam looked at his faded tattoo and remembered. At ten, the swastika was just a dare; even if needles stuck in a cork was not the best method. Now the malformed design looked more nasty than Nazi. Twenty years on, his childhood seemed far away.
R. S. Pyne is a writer from Wales who lives with two good dogs and one bad one. Also a cat with plans to take over the world. Credits include: Albedo One, Aurora Wolf, Bards & Sages Quarterly, Fifth Di, Hungur, Lacuna, Neo-opsis, Silver Blade, Undead of Winter and others.
The Right to Bear by Robin Meister
Her incessant worrying about fetal alcohol syndrome and autism filled a notebook. But he was only born with a birthmark beneath his right eye; her reward for choosing life over death. “It’s just a hobby,” he tells her now, beaming, showing her how easily the magazine snaps into the barrel.
Robin Meister lives in Buffalo, New York, where she finds joy in dumping a dozen organic lemons into a clear glass bowl, but not because the sun never shines here. It does. A lot.
Her incessant worrying about fetal alcohol syndrome and autism filled a notebook. But he was only born with a birthmark beneath his right eye; her reward for choosing life over death. “It’s just a hobby,” he tells her now, beaming, showing her how easily the magazine snaps into the barrel.
Robin Meister lives in Buffalo, New York, where she finds joy in dumping a dozen organic lemons into a clear glass bowl, but not because the sun never shines here. It does. A lot.
1st Line by Ryan Hill
There’s a certain level of orchestrated privacy associated with riding the bus: everyone knows what everyone else is up to, so we all pretend to be blind and deaf until after someone’s left.
When not working a day job in the wilds of suburbia, Ryan Hill dreams of better tomorrows, and writes at http://www.ryanunderhill.blogspot.com.
There’s a certain level of orchestrated privacy associated with riding the bus: everyone knows what everyone else is up to, so we all pretend to be blind and deaf until after someone’s left.
When not working a day job in the wilds of suburbia, Ryan Hill dreams of better tomorrows, and writes at http://www.ryanunderhill.blogspot.com.
Catfish and the Cub Scout Pack by Chad Pollock
Slingshot, rock, scurrying rodent, this was Cub-scout taxidermy gone too far. Catfish considered his obligations to Pack 118, considered whether to teach the boys a more excellent way--carbon dioxide, for example--but he was not the Cubmaster. He was a wastrel with time on his hands and community service to fulfill.
Chad Pollock is a librarian and writer living in Fayetteville, AR. He enjoys books but does not enjoy noodling. Learn more at www.chadpollock.com
Slingshot, rock, scurrying rodent, this was Cub-scout taxidermy gone too far. Catfish considered his obligations to Pack 118, considered whether to teach the boys a more excellent way--carbon dioxide, for example--but he was not the Cubmaster. He was a wastrel with time on his hands and community service to fulfill.
Chad Pollock is a librarian and writer living in Fayetteville, AR. He enjoys books but does not enjoy noodling. Learn more at www.chadpollock.com
Town Hall by Ella Kennen
“What are you doing about the wolf menace?” someone asked to raucous applause. The councilman took a swig of water, trying to ignore his throbbing temple. This could have all been avoided, he thought, if that little girl in red’s mother hadn’t let her walk through the woods by herself.
Ella Kennen thinks short. Check out more of her fiction and nonfiction for children and adults at http://ellakennen.wordpress.com
“What are you doing about the wolf menace?” someone asked to raucous applause. The councilman took a swig of water, trying to ignore his throbbing temple. This could have all been avoided, he thought, if that little girl in red’s mother hadn’t let her walk through the woods by herself.
Ella Kennen thinks short. Check out more of her fiction and nonfiction for children and adults at http://ellakennen.wordpress.com
Never the Victor by Mike Entile
The manacled racoon lowered her head and inched her way to the culvert opening to accept the kill shot. No barking or hissing; the pain overwhelming any desire to fight. The trapper administered the coup de grace and hoped the rest of his traps would be empty.
Mike Entile has been writing historical fiction since his short story based on Custer's Last Stand won an award at his junior high's science and art fair over forty years ago. Unfortunately, the last thing he's ever won.
The manacled racoon lowered her head and inched her way to the culvert opening to accept the kill shot. No barking or hissing; the pain overwhelming any desire to fight. The trapper administered the coup de grace and hoped the rest of his traps would be empty.
Mike Entile has been writing historical fiction since his short story based on Custer's Last Stand won an award at his junior high's science and art fair over forty years ago. Unfortunately, the last thing he's ever won.