Valerie Cihylik

 

 

A Note from the Fiction Editor

It is the summer of Armageddon here in New York with a sky full of belligerent thunder rolling in every other day. The dog has taken up residence in the bathtub – the last safe place – while I have been reading fiction and hardly noticed that lightening just struck the fire escape nor dwell upon the question of whether or not my computer is grounded and if that is a good or bad thing.

The tingling I feel could be a remnant of the lightening, but I suspect that it is instead anticipation of the delight our readers will take in our latest offering of Melic fiction.

The five stories in this issue truly do run the gamut from the serious to the ridiculous: mistaken identity at a Civil War homecoming, a World War I hero not so lucky in life, a furry animal as a cure for a broken heart, the messy confluence of a completely different furry animal, a poltergeist and mayonnaise, and a cautionary tale about a schoolyard experiment with words that goes awry. So crank up the AC, fire up your computer and enjoy.

As an aside, I would like to encourage you all to check out Plum Biscuit, a new e-zine (currently accepting submissions) that will be launched by the New York Writers Coalition this fall. NYWC offers writing programs to individuals who have been historically deprived a voice in our society, including at-risk youth, the homeless, seniors and prison inmates. For guidelines and to check out Plum Biscuit go to www.nywriterscoalition.org.