‘Alive and Well’ is the new issue of 50 to 1, and my first as editor. So keep those submissions rolling in, because this thing is back with a vengeance. This issue’s featured contributors are: Susan K. Bernhardt, Gay Degani, Andrew MacDonald, Ethan Swage, Robert Vaughan, Kelley Whitley and Heather Dawes.
Paul Mullin blogs at The Germ of the Idea and spends most of his free time commuting to and from work. When he isn't writing he enjoys poetry (true) and a glass of scotch (not true).
John and Madeline by Susan K. Bernhardt
John dressed in his finest navy suit. He had meticulously adjusted his tie. He was seeing his wife off, and wanted to look his best. John held Madeline's hand gently, and gave her a kiss good-bye. He whispered, "I'll love you forever," before the lid of her coffin was lowered.
Susan K. Bernhardt loves reading and writing mysteries. A member of Sister's in Crime, she is currently writing a mystery novel which takes place in a small mid-western town. A Halloween mystery, October 31st, was published in Long Story Short. A poem, Midsummer,will be published in an upcoming issue of Long Story Short.
John dressed in his finest navy suit. He had meticulously adjusted his tie. He was seeing his wife off, and wanted to look his best. John held Madeline's hand gently, and gave her a kiss good-bye. He whispered, "I'll love you forever," before the lid of her coffin was lowered.
Susan K. Bernhardt loves reading and writing mysteries. A member of Sister's in Crime, she is currently writing a mystery novel which takes place in a small mid-western town. A Halloween mystery, October 31st, was published in Long Story Short. A poem, Midsummer,will be published in an upcoming issue of Long Story Short.
A Basic Truth About Some Girls by Gay Degani
George called her a "crisp virgin." What the hell? She saw herself as a renegade, doing double fucks in the backs of vans on her way to some gig, giving bliss to the guy with a bass guitar. But then, George was the guy on bass. Guess he should know.
Gay Degani is writing a novel but short fiction keeps her happy. She edits Flash Fiction Chronicles and blogs at www.gaydegani.com.
George called her a "crisp virgin." What the hell? She saw herself as a renegade, doing double fucks in the backs of vans on her way to some gig, giving bliss to the guy with a bass guitar. But then, George was the guy on bass. Guess he should know.
Gay Degani is writing a novel but short fiction keeps her happy. She edits Flash Fiction Chronicles and blogs at www.gaydegani.com.
1st Line by Andrew MacDonald
The urn containing her father's ashes sat next to the urn containing her mother's ashes; whenever Ally spoke to them, she felt like she was talking to some hermaphrodite combination of the two.
Andrew MacDonald has published stories in places like The Fiddlehead, Event, and The Journey Prize Stories 22. He lives with tuxedo cats in Toronto, where he's writing more stories and something longer. More at caughtwithstring.blogspot.com.
The urn containing her father's ashes sat next to the urn containing her mother's ashes; whenever Ally spoke to them, she felt like she was talking to some hermaphrodite combination of the two.
Andrew MacDonald has published stories in places like The Fiddlehead, Event, and The Journey Prize Stories 22. He lives with tuxedo cats in Toronto, where he's writing more stories and something longer. More at caughtwithstring.blogspot.com.
1st Line by Ethan Swage
Seconds before his thrashing began, Raymond inadvertently heightened his culpability by explaining: “She stuck her finger through the hole and poked me in the eye before her friends even had a chance to drop their towels, so if you think about it, who’s really in the wrong here?”
Ethan Swage is a New Jersey–based writer, artist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Flashshot, Eclectic Flash, Blink/Ink, Staccato Fiction, The Legendary, The Linnet’s Wings, Liquid Imagination, DiddleDog, Flashes In The Dark, Everyday Weirdness, Six Sentences and 50 to 1.
Seconds before his thrashing began, Raymond inadvertently heightened his culpability by explaining: “She stuck her finger through the hole and poked me in the eye before her friends even had a chance to drop their towels, so if you think about it, who’s really in the wrong here?”
Ethan Swage is a New Jersey–based writer, artist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Flashshot, Eclectic Flash, Blink/Ink, Staccato Fiction, The Legendary, The Linnet’s Wings, Liquid Imagination, DiddleDog, Flashes In The Dark, Everyday Weirdness, Six Sentences and 50 to 1.
Rude by Robert Vaughan
Her monologue wasn't entirely over but the audience was getting up, applauding. The standing ovation was caused by an old Jewish couple who had to get to St. Luke's. Their daughter had delivered their grandchild, a boy, prematurely. Stillborn. The actress later told friends, they were rude, just walked out.
Robert Vaughan’s plays have been produced in N.Y.C., L.A., S.F. and Milwaukee, where he resides. His prose and poetry is published in over 125 literary journals. He is a fiction editor at JMWW magazine, and flash editor at Thunderclap! Press. Also the editor of Flash Fiction Fridays for WUWM. His blog: http://rgv7735.wordpress.com.
Her monologue wasn't entirely over but the audience was getting up, applauding. The standing ovation was caused by an old Jewish couple who had to get to St. Luke's. Their daughter had delivered their grandchild, a boy, prematurely. Stillborn. The actress later told friends, they were rude, just walked out.
Robert Vaughan’s plays have been produced in N.Y.C., L.A., S.F. and Milwaukee, where he resides. His prose and poetry is published in over 125 literary journals. He is a fiction editor at JMWW magazine, and flash editor at Thunderclap! Press. Also the editor of Flash Fiction Fridays for WUWM. His blog: http://rgv7735.wordpress.com.
The Solution by Kelly Whitley
Maury entered the alley, clenching five twenties stolen from his mother's purse. He coughed, wincing at the jab from the rib fractured by his father, courtesy of Jim Beam.
He traded the money for ten tabs of Valium. When Dad imbibed tonight, he'd be dead drunk permanently.
Maury smiled.
Kelly Whitley has been writing for years, but is new to the art form of flash. She likes her stories short - the shorter, the better.
Maury entered the alley, clenching five twenties stolen from his mother's purse. He coughed, wincing at the jab from the rib fractured by his father, courtesy of Jim Beam.
He traded the money for ten tabs of Valium. When Dad imbibed tonight, he'd be dead drunk permanently.
Maury smiled.
Kelly Whitley has been writing for years, but is new to the art form of flash. She likes her stories short - the shorter, the better.
1st Line by Heather Dawes
In the skipping reality that you see when very tired or quite drunk, you stare out the windshield and perceive the accident ahead.
Heather Dawes lives and goes to college in a swamp in Seattle. She travels, reads, and drinks too much. facebook.com/heather.limes
In the skipping reality that you see when very tired or quite drunk, you stare out the windshield and perceive the accident ahead.
Heather Dawes lives and goes to college in a swamp in Seattle. She travels, reads, and drinks too much. facebook.com/heather.limes