by Chris Dungey With first light and all through the bitter day, a dandelion lint of snow settles. Each filament gathers dust bunnies loath to press flat those beneath. For the first time in a month, a man stands in a mirror knotting a tie that has no silk-screen Santa monogram or carol button. A neighbor’s dog heralds an approaching…
By Elana Kloss (This piece was originally published in Literally Stories.) It’s my second month in L.A., and I’ve already forgotten about pizza. New York feels like years ago, and the only thing that matters now is wood ear mushroom, pork bao, and beef noodles. They arrive plump on Chinese…
by Gonzalinho da Costa I love to listen to your resonant chimes, Echoing, full, round,Collecting clear musical pools, Bright waterfalls of sound. I love to hear your brilliant bells Singing, mountain stream,Flowing concourse of luminous notesArranged to a liquid theme. I love to hear your hammers strike, Ripples across a…
by Tobie Shapiro The man had been tearing through the closet in ten-minute sessions of escalating deranged frenzy. The woman observed with decreasing detachment. “Honey. Stop.” His argument: “If I quit now,” he looked up with obsession in his eyes, “all this was an embarrassing waste of time. If you…
by Valerie Kinsey Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing Jay—the second Jay—is shorter and squatter than the first and has skin the color of hazelnut gelato and a layer of fat over his muscles. He tells me he spent hours in the gym bulking up when he got out…
by Tony Press First there were only six, and then a few more arrived before noon, but the room was far from full. Nils wasn’t shocked at the low turnout but he was disappointed and that surprised him. He had attended so many funerals in the past year, almost always…
by Margaret McNellis Rose’s elbows trembled. A drop of sweat splashed onto the red jigsaw mat beneath her face. She scrunched her eyes shut and tried to remember to breathe. She tried to remember that this was what she wanted. She tried to remember that she signed up for this,…
by Matthew Hamilton Terminal. It is such an incredibly idiotic word. It has a meaning, born only from whoever decides these things, these silly definitions, yet it does not do it justice. Sure, it’s a nice, neat, euphemistic way to sum up the issue at hand, but the designation doesn’t…
We are pleased to announce the publication of “The Penmen Review – Volume 1,” our very first anthology, which features poetry, essays, book and script excerpts, and short stories from various authors from around the world, including many SNHU students. The anthology is available for immediate download as an eBook…
By Sheree McDonald I was reaching for my last cigarette when I caught a glimpse of the flashing blue lights in my rearview mirror. Shit. With a heavy sigh, I let the unlit cigarette fall to the ashtray where remnants of my habit clustered. A few moments later, the rim…