Sophia Robles—winner of the $25,000 Parallax Poetry and Fiction Scholarship Contest to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy— has a skill with both storytelling and the poetics of language. “Grace Katharine; an ode to your senior year” beautifully paints a portrait and writes a narrative of teenage struggle and familial bonds. With gripping imagery and a voice full of authenticity, this piece captures the pain and triumphs of a girl in her senior year of high school.
Two Poems by Pearl Reagler
Pearl Reagler’s poems, “Night Walkers” and “cicada women”, express an authentic and creative use of imagery. Through her powerful use of vivid details, Pearl paints scenes and emotions that bring to life interesting character relationships.
Two Poems by Vera Caldwell
In “Diagrams of Knots” and “Evening With West Texas and Alzheimer’s”, Vera Caldwell’s experiments with form to create deeply meaningful aspects to poetry.
Perfect Case of OCD
The “Perfect Case of OCD” is based on the personal troubles Lily Oldershaw faced while growing up with Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The Symbolism behind Driving into an Underpass on the Garden State Parkway
In her piece, “The Symbolism behind Driving into an Underpass on the Garden State Parkway”, Zoha Arif beautifully captures an eccentric character’s relationship to love and nature.
Green and Gold
Zoya Yan explores a fast paced narrative of her mother’s immigration, and sheds light upon what it’s like as a working immigrant in a largely populated city.
A Conversation With Peter Twal
Peter Twal is a Jordanian-American electrical engineer, and the author of Our Earliest Tattoos. His poetry collection won the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize (University of Arkansas Press). His poems have appeared in The Believer, Poem-A-Day, Best New Poets, Kenyon Review Online, West Branch, Ninth Letter, Gulf Coast, Quarterly West, and elsewhere. Peter lives in Phoenix,… Continue reading
Two Poems By Ivan Josic
In these poems, Ivan Josic demonstrates excellent employment of imagery to captivate a reader. With vivid details and authentic, dark tones, these poems exemplify the power of tangible imagery.
Composition of Columbus
In her poem, “Composition of Columbus,” Sarah Nachimson creates a sinister quiet presence in small town life, while developing an intense sense of nostalgia and yearning.
Blue Eyes
In “Blue Eyes”, Hannah Han creates beautiful settings and characters through her detailed imagery.