“The super-human and enhanced kids like me are nice, even behind my back. They treat everyone else really bad, though. They’re mean, and daddy told me not to be friends with mean people.” Read more

“I was wrong and nothing cracked but every moment moves away from the sharpest watershed for you.” Read more

BY NICK O’CONNOR Dr Tehrani found that the variants of the folk tale shared a common ancestor that dated back more than 3000 years.  Read more

She looks at each one of them in turn and still not believing her eyes. In a way, they still look the same; yes, she sees grown-up adults but somehow she still sees the little children they used to be. She is looking at their faces and still seeing behind these faces the faces of… Read more

Poor sailors and poor students parse the past Between the paper covers of poor Penguins Poor crumbling pages and crumbling civilizations Held together with rubber bands and Scotch tape… Read more

“Well, luckily for you, I’m not escorting you—I’m taking Gawain horseback riding. He’s with Lord Highland now, so I’m walking down there to catch him before he heads off somewhere.” Read more

Oh, yes, you should dabble amateurishly With sketchbook, pen, guitar, and crescent wrench With telescope and hiking boots and love With verse that scans and prose that strongly speaks… Read more

BY ANNA RAJAGOPAL The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of a remarkable but oppressive ruler who is fated for distress. Read more

“They are good, good children and as we taught them since they were little to be open to God’s call for their life and be open to His will, two of them are considering the religious vocation while the other two are happily married with children of their own, the little one is still in… Read more

“He seemed most eager to accompany me wrackspurt-hunting, but even with my Spectrespecs he can’t see them. If the wrackspurts don’t trust him, how can I?” Read more

“Ah, I’m afraid I miscalculated a bit, my dear friend—we were so close to catching that Ape, on so many occasions, that each time I thought if I just delayed my answer another day, I might be able to write you the good news of a capture—but before I knew it, I got your summons… Read more

Rain globes cling to a crystal cookie sheet The lens that separates my world from me The glass that needed cleaning yesterday To smear three weeks of fingerprints away. Read more

BY ISABELLA SUMMITT We all groaned when the two hobbits went over the horizon after so much had happened, and we didn’t want it to end. Read more

“Daddy, is everything alright?” “What’s wrong with mom?” ”Does she remember us now?” “Children, dear children, relax, I believe that everything will be fine. Just give us a little more time. When she is ready to see you all, I will call for you. I love you.” “We love you too, dad.” Read more

During a thunderstorm a little frog For reasons best known to its grey-green self Climbed stickey-toed into the chambers of The gauge, then begged for life as the water rose… Read more

BY MICHAEL HALDAS Frodo and Harry are like James and John. Both Tolkien and Rowling hint at providence being a mover behind the scenes of the story. Read more

“I think it’s reasonable to suspect that Lord Highland’s ship took a beating in the storm and needs repairs, but I’ve no report on that yet. I’ll leave those inspections to his crew, and I trust that we’ll be able to supply what’s needed for repairs.” Read more

As Abraham was called to leave his home, To serve one God in haunted emptiness Where errant spirits misguided pilgrims’ steps Into those thickets that entangled lost souls Read more

BY KEVIN MICHAEL DERBY Tolkien was sharp enough not to go too deep into the Fourth Age despite writing a handful of pages when he considered doing a sequel. Read more

“The doctor does not see a point in keeping her… They are not hopeful like we are. Her doctor told me yesterday that, in his whole career, he never saw anyone who had the same problem, waking up and coming back.” Read more