Clarksdale
by Jeff Fleischer
Pearletta
The Weathers’ woodpaned, wall-length mural to Pearletta—their “challenging” one—performed its function and made its case: she hasn’t always been this way
A Friend
Blue leaned on his cane. He mayst well tell Jess everthing. Jess had helped him before. Jess' old model Chevrolet pickup rounded the corner, came down the street and stopped. Blue got in
A Brief Silence
by James Redd He awoke on Ray Williams’ couch and made himself a tall glass of water and drank it quickly with an open throat. Then he grabbed another mason jar of whiskey and walked to the front porch where Ray sat in whicker chairs with Houston, Lou Godwin’s boy. Houston was drinking from a full bottle but stopped drinking to laugh for a moment
Cents and Sensibility
by Arthur Levine Fisheye Harper sits down on the curb wishing the can in the paper bag he’s holding wasn’t empty. Sees Chester A. Arthur across the street struggling to carry his bulk up the steps to his law office. Chester A. Arthur rubs the spot on his forehead where the bag with the can hit
A Chance Encounter
by Fred Shelton At 4:15 a.m., the New Orleans−bound passenger train made its scheduled stop at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where I disembarked, along with several other passengers, one of whom I recognized as a student at Carey