Blood-Red Nails, Pale Cold Hands
downloadThe narrator of Steven Lee Beeber's short story "Blood-Red Nails, Pale Cold Hands" contemplates the strange combinations of violence and tenderness that underlie his relationships with the important women in his life. The story begins with an accident witnessed in childhood and concludes with the scratches left from passion.
The Vigilantes of Vance
downloadCD Collins' essay "The Vigilantes of Vance" is a portrait of her candy-eating, derringer-toting, fast-driving mother, and a drily funny story of the woman's power to enthrall those around her.
Twenty Five
downloadPennsylvania writer Jamye Shelleby's short story "Twenty Five" contemplates the metaphysics of loss through a brother-sister relationship remembered through markers in time.
Snake
downloadAllison Williams’ “Snake” finds two children playing in a muddy yard. Their game turns to a scuffle made dangerous when their father returns, sure to be angry at the mess they’ve made. Williams’ brief piece offers an intense study of the blurred line between protection and harm.
The Stormchasers
downloadhttp://www.drumlitmag.com/index.php?page=bio&display=162In Jenna Blum’s excerpt from her second novel Stormchasers, Karena searches through storm-ravaged terrain for the twin brother she hasn’t seen in twenty years. She knows Charles will risk his life to seek the storm, drawn by its danger and its energy.about the author
How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life
downloadhttp://www.drumlitmag.com/index.php?page=bio&display=161The Café Pamplona in Harvard Square is the setting for a showdown between Abby and her ex-boyfriend Clive. In this excerpt from Mameve Medwed’s novel How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life, Clive is intent on making amends for various wrongs in his life—and Abby must endure his copious amending.about the author
