What’s the first thing you picture when you hear the words “slam poetry”? Is it a group of sappy teens snapping their fingers in a coffee shop? Is it someone yelling punctuated nonsense into a microphone? Does the slam poetry scene from 22 Jump Street come to mind? “Slam. Poetry. Yelling! An-gry! Wa-ving my hands … More Slam Poetry is Not What You Think it is by Cailin Jeffers
The Northern Arizona Playwriting Showcase, affectionately known as NAPS, kicked off its 12th year at Theatrikos Playhouse in Flagstaff this September. Ever since Ann Cummins, a creative writing professor at NAU, founded NAPS, the playwriting contest has enjoyed a strong connection with the university’s MFA program. This year more MFA students, alumni, and faculty participated … More The Northern Arizona Playwriting Showcase Ecosystem by Katie McGee
The interest of a photographer lies in experiments with transparency, explorations of the frame, and interrogations of perception. I first toyed with these ideas in September, when I took a photo of my friend wading into a pond. He wore only boxers and looked out at trees reminiscent of summer time. James’ emaciated body bore … More Cantilevered Ponds by Brianna Di Monda
On September 14, 2019, three Arizona novelists converged at Bright Side Bookshop in downtown Flagstaff to hold a reading and talk on their work and experiences in middle-grade literature. Middle-grade fiction, as contrasted with the more widely known genre young adult literature, is written for an audience mainly of children ages eight to twelve, and, … More A Meeting of Middle-Grade Authors: Dusti Bowling, Paul Mosier, and Janni Lee Simner by Zach Bartell
Time edges its way towards 2:00 p.m. when I walk into Hardes Theater off of Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix. The dramatic foyer lighting brings me to the usher, smiling, waiting for my ticket. I smile back and want to say, “I’m with the band,” but instead I croak out something to the effect of … More Words: The Breath of Life by Jackie Walling
Despite boasting a population well over 70,000, Flagstaff seems to pride itself on the small town charm epitomized by its historic downtown district. There, you can find many local and sometimes quirky businesses. One of my favorite places to visit is Bright Side Bookshop, which holds the unofficial title of Flagstaff’s only independent book store. … More More than a Bookstore by Alina Gonzalez
Flagstaff Literary Events Calendar_Nov’19
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” — The Lorax A couple years ago, I was speaking with a writer friend about fiction’s ability to change peoples’ minds. We were both taking an environmental fiction class, and she voiced her frustrations with this premise. She said … More Exploring Cli-Fi: Can Fiction Change Your Mind? by Tianna Jordening
When do a bunch of stories become a collection? When I finished my MFA program at Oregon State, I figured my next step was to publish a book. Lucky for me, I’d written a lot those two years—conservatively, twenty short stories and probably twice as much flash. I’d been through the thesis process of polishing … More A Conversation with a Past Contributor: Mike Chin
Before he fell asleep in my arms by the campfire again he saw something in the flames. First a cat, then a monster, then a burning tree, the same he climbed earlier in the afternoon, high enough to look out at Pike’s Peak and see the snow still holding strong in late June, his dad … More Fatherhood Therapy by KG Newman
