no matter why

or if, or in what way, what

I want to say is

Traveling with you is being hungry, always. We prowl the sites like jackals, waiting for our chance to jump. Hot, sugary churros chased down by beer after beer at the ancient bar behind the new colonialist temple, and the ruins of the older Aztec one where we ducked in to escape the rain and warm our July-cooled bones, and stayed until we were as dry and comfortable as the dogs we are, our conversation the only fire, and the music, and the only other people in the place another couple, she with heavy, tightly constrained hips and red, plum-red, hair.

Contributors: Mark Abdon, Christine Barkley, Havilah Barnett, Ellie Black, Daniel Brennan, Rachel Chapman, Amanda Chiado, Willy Conley, Amy DeBellis, Kellie Diodato, Jean-Marc Duplantier, Joshua Effiong, Michael Emerald, Jennie Evenson, Casey Fisher, Ariel Francisco, Dane Gebauer, Alex Gullis, Mary Gunning, Caitlin Gunthorp, Cover Art Guy, K Janeschek, Tracey Knapp, Funfere Koroye, Katrina Leggett, Jim Marino, Lucy McBee, Patrick Meeds, Skyler Melnick, Devin Murphy, Talor North, Zack Osborn, Lexi Pandell, Aimee Parkison, Ana Prundaru, Jennifer Pullen, Craig Reinbold, Paul Riker, Mack Rogers, Amanda Scott, Shyla Shehan, Sue William Silverman, Garrett Stack, Ivan Suazo, Rachel Sussman, Nora Thomas, William Varner, Irene Villasenor, Patrick Wilcox, Nicholas Wong, Yance Wyatt

“My boyfriend shows up at my apartment with his face made up like a hideous monster. It’s not Halloween, but he’s an amateur actor, so I’m more surprised than shocked.”

Second-year MFA student finalist in Palette Poetry contest.

Second-year MFA student publishes in Redivider

First-year MFA student wins Georgia Prose Prize

“A week after Mom leaves, Dad tells us to stop asking about her. A postcard arrives. We recognize Mom’s handwriting. Dad snatches it away.”

“We’re excited to announce the results of The 2024 Page Prize in Creative Nonfiction, judged by Justin St. Germain!”

“I get to forty eight and stop counting. Laying each coat on the bed, shoulder to shoulder, they make a heaping, unruly camel’s back that could topple over at any moment. Again and again I return to the closet, lift out a different coat, search all the pockets, drop the hanger in the bag and spread it on the pile.”

Senior Poetry Editor for issue 44.2 publishes in Hunger Mountain.

“is wrong is a guy thing is a radical notion in the Czech Republic is the future”

“An acerbic alchemy of PBR and hormones

bubble up inside my mouth,

crammed in a theater showing My Bloody Valentine.

Drizzled spit and splatter campfire, bad decisions”

“I thought they were rocks, but they’re turtles, moving slowly over one another to sun. Stretching out their gray necks. There’s a man behind me saying, ‘did you get one of these?’ to passersby and holding out a pamphlet titled Are You a Good Person?”

“At thirteen, she’d stepped out of the forest into a place where the water was a solid sheet of green.  She was trusting then –innocent of what the color meant.”

“His pigment box rattled. / His brushes bristled / in the morning sun. / Rain had come & gone.”

Contributors: Sonja Vitow, Sara Backler, Erin Bealmear, Bea Bolongaita, Annah Browning, Chris L. Butler, James Davis, Samantha Edmonds, E. Laura Goldberg, Henry Goldkamp, Justin Groppuso-Cook, Tom Kelly, Gordon Kippola, Allie Mariano, Katie Moritz, Dante Novario, Charlie Peck, Elaina Perpelitt, Adrianna Sanchez-Lopez, David Sapp, Peter Schlachte, Charles Spano, Huw Steer, Katherine Vondy, Michael Ward

Schlich’s second book comes out Tuesday, January 16, 2023. Eli Harpo’s Adventure to the Afterlife, explores belief and forgiveness as a boy grapples with his faith and sexuality on a rollicking family road trip to Bible World.

“According to your back story, you have two sons. Kevin, who's eleven, right? And Keith who's fourteen. So it's Keith and his friend from next door. Uh..."Tadpole" is his name.”