6-minute Stories
True, personal stories from new voices and experienced writers, resonating with themes of the Personal Essay/Story Publishing Projects 'Bearing Up' (2018) and 'Exploring' (2019).
Episodes
"Free Time" by Randell Jones
— If you are doing one thing, you are not doing another.Randell Jones is the editor and publisher of the Personal Story Publishing Project and “6-minute Stories” podcast. (2017-2026)
"Is It "Thank You" or "I'm Sorry" by Joe Brown
– We thought we were big dogs!No lives were shattered because I got these vices out of the way early in life.Joe Brown is a retired building contractor. He lives on a small family farm in the Bethania area of Winston Salem NC. He now has time to do all those projects that a busy work schedule didn't allow. He enjoys his grandchildren and great grandchildren and as time allows like
"Clouds" by Robin Russell Gaiser
– “Why am I still here? Why can't I die?” Then, a single, wispy white cloud appeared and wafted its way past me in an otherwise cloudless blue sky.
Preserving Freedom" by Suzanne Cottrell & Deborah Forbes
– “Let’s face it. We’re lost.”Our speech is breathy, our lips are parched, and our tongues are like sandpaper. Suzanne Cottrell, a Buckeye by birth, lives with her husband in rural Granville County, North Carolina, where she’s a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network and the Taste Life Twice Writers. She’s the author of a hybrid book, Nature Calls Outside My Window, A Collection
"Free Ink" by Arlene Mandell
— “Snorkelers in first!”I felt awkward about the subterfuge and reminded Bob that I was a proofreader, not a writer.
"Free Ink" by Arlene Mandell
Randell Jones - voice
"Lessons from Our Forefathers" by Randell Jones
“Before Liberty”—again!Even through the misty lenses of history, they were not giants—neither are we. Randell Jones is an award-winning writer about the pioneer and Revolutionary War eras and North Carolina history. During 25 years, he has written 150+ history-based guest columns for the Winston-Salem Journal. His newest release is the expanded 2nd edition of the 2005 biography and travel guide,
"Three Gee-Flying Free" by S.G. Benson
– “I’m Gus. Climb in; I’ll give you a ride.”The gravitational force pushed the seat straps into my shoulders and my stomach leaped. I couldn’t breathe. S. G. (Sandy) Benson lives in Warne, North Carolina, where she is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network-West. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and she received awards from the Nebraska Press Women. She p
"Town Hall Clock Tower" by Jeanne VanBuren
– I was unwilling to pour out good beer.I received their conversation and stories and momentary camaraderie as an exchange for the communal feast.Jeanne VanBuren, from Winston Salem, N.C., is a contributor once again to the Personal Story Publishing Project. She is working on a collection of her life adventures that come from being a widowed mom of five sons and growing up in a huge family o
"A Hollow and Forgotten Place" by Mark K. Marshall
– I found the village of plundered houses strangely peaceful.The broken remains of a swinging bridge across the Gauley, I supposed, had once been someone’s way out.
"A Hollow and Forgottt
"Orange Juice and Golf Balls for Free" by Bob Amason
– He wasn’t cheap; he just liked free things.He charged into snake-infested palmetto bushes with gusto, flinging balls out to the fairway like a crazed Walmart shopper on Black Friday.
"All God's Children Got Shoes" by Phyllis Castelli
– Going barefoot is fun…if you have shoes in your closet.Even in old age, Mama remembered hopelessly tugging down the faded blue dress, trying to hide her feet.
"My Free Soul" by Mary Floyd
I had to hide my secret.Without my bubble, I would cease to live, just blow away like dust.
"A Visit with Uncle Gilbert" by Ginny Foard
–He could not send others into dangers that he was not willing to face himself.The locals know that date. They honor it. They value it because it gave them freedoms that they live to this day.Words and their friends fill Ginny’s days. Sometimes they come in a well-organized dignified gathering so that Ginny can enquire about the spellings and meanings of the ones she hasn’t met before. Other
"The Green Roach" by A. A. Krombach
– “If you turn around now, I’ll get you home.”A 1955 Chevy Nomad station wagon, her faded, chalky green body panels and acid-etched roof and hood left no doubt as to her ancestry.
"A Light in the Tunnel" by Emily Rosen
– There are all kinds of marriages.Freedom is not cheap. And it is never “pure.” Emily Rosen lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where for over 20 years and until her 95th birthday, she instructed classes in memoir writing, publishing two anthologies of stories from her classes, and the book, Who Am I? (Emily celebrates her 99th birthday in April 2026.) For two decades and until the local weekly news
"Free of the Feds" by Phoenicia Miracle
– The cows? The cows were a problem?I walked each check to the bursar's office, fully aware that the cost of my education was far greater than the value of the check.Phoenicia Miracle is originally from Harlan County, Kentucky, one of Appalachia's most recognizable communities. Through non-fiction short stories, Phoenicia features the region's people and place in authentic, narrowly focused plots.
"Free Range" by Vicki Easterly
– I am certain we had more fun.There was nothing like the feel of the wind slapping hair in our faces as we leaned out the window and yelled fervent taunts at the opposing cars.Vicki Easterly is a retired disability advocate living in Frankfort, Kentucky. Several of her stories have appeared in prior PSPP anthologies. Her book, Miracles in the Mundane, was selected for the annual Kentu
"Standing By" by Jo McElroy Senecal
– Not so fast, my slowly dying friend!Out there my heart easily held you with the thrum of ancestral music, song, and dance, as consistent as air.A native fish-taco-loving San Diegan, Jo McElroy Senecal spent decades on the East Coast, blending professional stage and clown credits with various roles at magical powerhouses like The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and The Big Apple Circus Clown Car
"Saints Surprise and How I Learn the Freedom of Speaking Up" by Mary Alice Dixon
“Sister, that sounds like fortune telling. Isn’t that a sin?”What would happen to the rest of us who die swallowing pennies and buttons? But not wanting to be the rooster, I stay silent.Mary Alice Dixon treasures a tattered old index card on which her 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Elvira Friend, wrote the recipe for her Happiness Cake. Mary Alice, a multiple Pushcart nominee, won the North Carolina Writ
Introduction to "Free" - Vol. 13, Personal Story Publishing Prioject
Freedom and scot-free or freeloader and free-for-allWe acknowledge those blessings and those curses in the stories we tell.
"Run On" by Alison Rice Bruster
– I have always told myself I’m not a runner.Race day in November dawned bright and crisp.After a career spent finding the voices of senior business executives, Alison Rice Bruster is writing a new chapter. She holds a BA in English Literature from Queens University of Charlotte. Her work has been published in three previous Personal Story Publishing Project collections, and she won recognit
"Five Minutes More" by Diana Neunkirchner (reprise from Sept 2023)
Diana Neunkirchner is a retired teacher living in Rougemont, North Carolina. An avid reader and writer, she is a member of the Durham Writers Group, the Writers’ Inspirational Network, and the Writers’ Critique Group. When she’s not writing short stories, personal essays, or memoir, she is hiking along the Eno River or playing the flute at Your Saving Grace, the family farm.
"Alvin and Mrs. Moody" by Joel Stegall (reprise from Sept 2019)
Not all the lessons learned in school came from our teachers. This is a story of “unarmed power. “As a music professor and academic administrator, Joel Stegall authored more than 35 journal articles, book chapters, and other such long-forgotten documents. Since retiring to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he has completed a family history dating from the early Colonial Era. Delighted to discover in
"Speech Therapy" by Steve Cushman (Reprise from June 2019)
Award-winning writer Steve Cushman reflects on an early experience in parenting his autistic son.Steve Cushman earned an MFA from UNC-Greensboro and has published three novels, including the Novello-Award winning Portisville. Steve’s first collection of poems, How Birds Fly, is the winner of the 2018 Lena Shull prize. Steve lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his family and can be found onli
"The Orphan Train" by Patricia E. Watts (Reprise from July 2021)
– longing for familySeparated as children, a relentless desire to find one another spawned a frustrating search. Patricia E. Watts lives in Mountville, South Carolina where the love of local and family history has given her a passion to write stories to pass down to her children. She has found through stories of tragedies, tears, and triumphs and even mysteries that she has a rich heritage worth t
"Dogwood Johnny" by Mary Alice Dixon (reprise from April 2020)
your wingman with angelsAn engineering prodigy arrives in the South, fascinated with an ancient relic and searching for the aerodynamic laws of angel wings, all the while nurturing his grove of Carolina dogwoods. It’s a good life. Mary Alice Dixon lives and writes in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a former attorney who often served as court-appointed counsel in juvenile court. She has also been
"An Encounter Beyond the Boundaries" by Janice Luckey - (reprise from October 2021)
—a brush with my bugaboo.A brother’s seeming “betrayal” awakens a loyal kid sister as his fiercest champion and ally.Janice Luckey, who lives in Davidson, North Carolina, is a member of the Write On! writing group sponsored by her local library as well as the online writing group Impromptu. Writing became a rhythm of her life when she scribbled a romance novel in a 3-ring binder in junior high sch
"Open Mouth, Insert Footlong Garden Hose" by Nick Sipe (reprise)
— You durn foolWaves of hot lava washed down my throat, past my lungs, and hit my stomach like an acid avalanche.By day, Nick Sipe works as a mild-mannered IT manager for a Fortune 150 company. By night, he mostly recovers from the workday, but occasionally finds time to write. He enjoys writing Twilight Zone-style short stories, mostly horror and light sci-fi. Nick is currently shopping his
"The Recital Dress" by Becky Gould Gibson
Each of us would have a dress made specially. My ears perked up.I imagined, over and over, the blue of my dress, deep and velvety, the color of evening, just as the stars begin to come out.For fifty years, Becky Gibson has written mostly poetry, publishing it in journals, anthologies, three chapbooks, and five full-length collections. She turned to creative nonfiction only recently, seeking to exp
"Sitting Through Green" by Jamie Cheshire (Reprise)
Fascinated with every big and little thing, Jamie Cheshire has long been an avid student of design and structure. Having worked together with giants, he has had the extreme good fortune to practice his craft for most of the last four decades and has seen his work appear nationally and in several countries on three continents. He lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with his beloved feral, hippi
"Erline's Kitchen" by Bill Gramley (reprise from April 1, 2020)
a foretaste of glory divine yet to come - Artist, writer, and athlete Bill Gramley of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, recounts his discoveries of Southern cooking and describes the delectables offered up from the table set by his mother-in-law on a 1950s North Carolina farm. Bill Gramley is a retired Moravian minister. In recent years he has written several Devotional Expressions and Prayers bookl
" A Christmas Surprise" by Annette L. Brown (reprise)
– “Sweetheart, wake up! Santa’s here!” “But what I really want, Santa, is a flashlight.”Annette L. Brown is a personal essayist and creative nonfiction writer who has pieces reflecting her love of nature, family, beauty, and humor in several publications including Flash Fiction Magazine, Every Day Fiction, Bad Day Book (Parenting), and several volumes of the Personal Story Publishi
"Love's Limit" by Kym Whitecar
“Do you like the gift ya got, girlfriend?”Wanting to get rid of the proof, I tried to give the chocolates to my family for dessert.Kym B. Whitecar lives in Indian Trail, North Carolina, where she is a member of the Charlotte Writers Club and Charlotte Lit. When she retired from education, she finally had the time to take a creative writing course, reigniting her passion for storytelling. Currently
"Reconnected" by Eloise Currie
I should have developed emotional armor, but I’d gone the other way.Stunned, I leaned hard on the doorjamb, knuckles white on suitcase handle, nerves frozen as they did when gut feelings proved true.Eloise Currie lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has kept a journal for 30 years and uses it as source material for short stories and nonfiction. Since retiring, she has been a member of a number of
"Nothing a Little Tobacco and Mother's Spit Won't Cure" by Bob Amason
We all know our mothers have magical powersIn Mom’s day, if you were not bleeding and could walk, you were perfectly fine.Award-winning author Bob Amason is a retired US Air Force Lieutenant colonel who was a college professor for 25 years. A Florida Writers Association member, Bob writes historical and modern suspense novels under his pen name, Frank A. Mason. His Journeyman Chronicles series on
"Believe in Magic" by Phyllis Castelli
The wind is the sculptor that shapes the shoreline.Vince poked holes, and I scuttered along crab-like, planting sprigs one by one.Phyllis Castelli is at home for a while on one of the northernmost beaches in Currituck County, North Carolina. Beauty is everywhere, especially in the sky, the wild horses, and the ever-changing sea, a true invitation to create something magical. She and her husb
"Ford Fairlane and the Rolling Temple of George Harrison" by David Lusk
Wires dangled from under the dash leaving only silence and an emptiness of spiritIt was a time of meaningful conversations. George rode with me every day offering words of encouragement.David Lusk is a retired consulting arborist/psychologist/writer living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He has previously written several articles for the Winston-Salem Journal and the trade publication, Tree Care
"The Ginseng Genie" by Arlene Mandell
I had "sent a message out into the universe" asking for help.This unexpected path began bearing fruit and I was happy.Arlene Mandell of Linville, North Carolina, is proudly celebrating her 13th year as a portrait artist at the Carlton Gallery in Banner Elk, NC. A native New Yorker, relocating to the Blue Ridge Mountains with Captain Dan inspired a love of writing. Arlene is a member of “Sue Spirit
"Find the One" by Ken Chamlee
I did not want to be alone … so I looked for connections beyond the local.Call it meant-to-be, fate, kismet, benign coincidence, or just plain good luck, I do not care.Kenneth Chamlee’s work has appeared in eight Personal Story Publishing Project anthologies. His latest collection, The Best Material for the Artist in the World (Stephen F. Austin State University Press), a poetic biograph
"The Little Yellow House" by Annie McLeod Jenkins
“What’s that at the end of the other bed?”Sometimes we say to our adult selves, “Did this really happen? What did we see?Annie McLeod Jenkins grew up in South Carolina around folks who were storytellers, so she became one too. Because she realized that no one else was going to tell her story, and with the opportunity that came with a slower life and a quieter house, she began writing down th
"Not a Ghost of a Chance" by S.G. Benson
A shadowy man with a blurry face motioned for me to come down.In the dim light, I saw a large room containing mountains of frayed furniture, dishes, rusty hardware, and tattered cardboard boxes overflowing with yellowed papers. S. G. (Sandy) Benson lives in Warne, North Carolina, where she is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network-West. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and news
"Creatures in the Attic" by Erika Hoffman
“Who told you that?” Mom asked, horrified.“Nobody goes to the attic!” I asserted. I crossed my four-year-old arms defiantly.Erika Hoffman of Chatham County, North Carolina, has been writing with the goal of publication for 15 years. She’s been published 460 times in venues such as anthologies, newspapers, magazines, and ezines. Her niche is the non-fiction narrative although she has written
"I Thought the World Would End (If It Happened, Which It Wouldn't)" by Jo Senecal
“I’m coming, Mom. Hang on. I love you IloveyouIloveyou.”It would match the electric energy inside as we bumbled and fumbled with new information gathering as furiously and ominously as the roiling storm. Jo McElroy Senecal has been a member of the Lunas, six actors-turned-writers, for two decades. One of these days she’ll prove it.In the meantime, a published piece in the NYT, a story in Pers
"Notes on Hard Times" by Ginny Foard
The music and togetherness created a happy space.A preaching wrapped into a folk song, circling lessons with rhythm and life.Ginny likes to connect the dots. As a child, her nose was in books. She followed the stories from beginning to end. She maneuvered pencil across page to convert smatterings of stars into sprawling constellations. She learned that maps, charts and globes are just jumbles of l
"My Mother's Gifts" by Akira Odani
My mother disliked going into debt. Self-sufficiency remained her ideal.He rendered our family homeless and forced my mother to find shelter in abhorrent shacks.Akira Odani is a Tokyo-born, American-educated bilingual writer of essays, fiction, and non-fiction stories with a focus on cultural, social, and political issues characterizing the two countries. His works have appeared in a Kaidankai (Ja
"Murphy's Law or Myth" by Thomas Gery
Anything that can go wrong, it will go wrong.The police reported it an accident; with anguish I added the word stupid.Thomas Gery, a common man with uncommon experiences lives in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Army with duty in Vietnam. As a social worker he helped children, youth, and adults in a variety of practice venues and situations throughout a work life of 40 years. Marr
"Motif B32 - A Saturday in August" by Jamie Cheshire
Something had happened and the farm knew it.Rooster Cogburn was a burly, jewel-toned arrogance of teals, reds, deeper reds, and blues shot through with lances of yellow and purple.Fascinated with every big and little thing, Jamie Cheshire has long been an avid student of design and structure. Having worked together with giants, he has had the extreme good fortune to practice his craft for most of
"Boundary Crossing" by Jane Satchell McAllister
I still feel the chills run down my spine.After all, D-O-G is truly the perfect reflection of G-O-D.Jane Satchell McAllister spent fifteen years as a corporate banker before returning to school for a master’s degree in library science and going to work at her local public library. She is grateful to have been chosen to lead the library as director for the last ten years of her working life. Jane i
"Proper Punishment for an Old Offender" by Paula Teem Levi
– “The inmates here are an army of forgotten men.”He accepted the rejections and focused on making a successful transition from his rogue, racketeering life.Paula Teem Levi is a retired Registered Nurse living in Clover, South Carolina. She is a member of several genealogical societies. Her stories have appeared in six previous anthologies of the Personal Story Publishing Project. "Who's Tha
"Close Call" by Erika Hoffman
– “This isn’t a timeshare. Our program’s based on points.”A presentation by a Dolly Parton doppelganger, so charming she could sell a bald man a comb!Erika Hoffman is a happy and long-time resident of beautiful North Carolina. She’s a member of three writing clans: North Carolina Writers Network; The Triangle Area Freelancers; and Carteret Writers. During the past 14 years while pursui
"We Got Five Done" by Howard Pearre
– “Okay, Mr. Spark Plug. Out you come.”I gave it another dose of penetrating oil, waited, and pulled a little harder.Howard Pearre lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He attended UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State University and retired after a career as a counselor and manager with NC Vocational Rehabilitation and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He served in the Army as a paratr
"A Debt of Gratitude" by Randell Jones
– I just wanted to say, “thank you.”Such a hole in cyberspace has no bottom, of course, so I grabbed onto one protruding root—to overtax the Alice metaphor—and pulled myself over to the side.Randell Jones is an award-winning writer about the pioneer and Revolutionary War eras and North Carolina history. During 25 years, he has written 150+ history-based guest columns for the Winston-Salem Jo
"Tenderfoot" by Bob Amason
– “Let’s go backpacking.”Undaunted, we scoffed at the potential to dive into oblivion down a Tennessee mountainside.Award-winning author Bob Amason is a retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who was a college professor for 25 years. A Florida Writer’s Association member, Bob writes historical and modern suspense novels under his pen name, Frank A. Mason. His Journeyman Chronicles series on
"Taste the Disappointment" by Joe Brown
–There’s almost no food that I don’t like.It usually takes a long, long hour to get the proper freeze, so we took turns slowly turning the handle over and over.Joe Brown is a retired building contractor. He lives on a small family farm in the Bethania area of Winston Salem NC. He now has time to do all those projects that a busy work schedule didn't allow. He enjoys his grandchildren an
"Ride-sharing, Old School" by Barbara Mueller
– After that, my confidence in strangers diminished.The bicycle delivered me to-and-fro until the weather changed, and the snowy, windy, 6-month Lake Erie winter arrived.Barbara Mueller is a retired IT project manager living in Asheville, North Carolina. Her initial volunteer experience in Asheville was as a docent at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, where she met many visitors interested in story
"Chasing the Great Comet" by S.G. Benson
– “We can’t let her know what we’re up to.”We clambered up on the breakwater and made our way, in the dark, out to its very end. S. G. (Sandy) Benson lives in Warne, North Carolina, where she is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network-West. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and she received awards from the Nebraska Press Women. She published her first book i
"The Water Tower" by Annie McLeod Jenkins
– because it was there—our Mt. Everest.We never formally identified the squealer who called the police, but the local constabulary turned up in the form of Skippy Brown, a favorite local enforcer of the law. Annie McLeod Jenkins lives in Winston-Salem. Although she loves writing, she is frequently sidetracked by multiple other interests: choral singing, cooking, family genealogy,
"Dream-catching" by Jane Satchell McAllister
— Buona fortuna.The possibility of seeing Renaissance art and architecture in person intrigued me.Jane Satchell McAllister's writings draw inspiration from the wide variety of people and places she encounters, from her home base in Davie County, North Carolina, to rich adventures across our country and abroad. She has co-authored two Images of America books through Arcadia Publishing and ser
"Tequila or Not Tequila" by Jeanne VanBuren
– What have you got in a red?We were two competent but naive travelers missing a Spanish-English dictionary.Jeanne VanBuren lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina—by way of Chesapeake, Pittsburgh, Santa Cruz and Austin—where she is a member of North Carolina Writers Network and Triad Storytellers. Her many traveling adventures to share include those across 45 states, so far, with her large f
"With a Lump in My Throat" by Marion Cohen
– I just kept working every day, knowing I would adjust.The wisdom of my decision to transfer schools certainly was now in question.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Marion Cohen spent three decades as a mathematics educator before turning to writing. Her three novels and two short story collections focus on characters whose strong connections reflect a variety of emotions such as love, admiration
"Fire and Rain" by Kristen T. Bryson
– “Do you have any questions?”If we lost this car, at least a new one would arrive in two days.Kristen T. Bryson lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and this is her first writing submission for publication. She was encouraged by a family friend to share her story. She has been inspired by her father-in-law's commitment to writing his memoirs and an extensive compilation of letters to his gra
"Four-minute Showers" by Dawn McCormack
— “I cleaned it up, Mommy.”One small ocean of apple juice had been swabbed over the entire kitchen floor.Dawn McCormack, a former Spanish teacher, resides in Plainfield, Connecticut. She has been writing for many years. Short story credits include Columbus Single Scene and The Storyteller. While she is currently working on a middle-grade book, she has also had considerable success with her p
"Not a Suitable Suitor" by Suzanne Cottrell
– “Can we keep one?” Mitzi barked, poked her nose through the fence, and sniffed her wooers. Suzanne Cottrell, a member of the Taste Life Twice Writers and NC Writers’ Network, lives with her husband in rural Granville County, NC. An outdoor enthusiast and retired teacher, she enjoys reading, writing, knitting, hiking, Pilates, and belly dancing. Her prose has appeared in numerous
"Unseen Troubles" by Marcia J. Wick
– Nothing would deter us from enjoying our well-earned evening out.Ash-gray script swirled across the textured buff pages like hazy clouds crossing the sky at dusk. Marcia J. Wick is a blind, grey-haired grandmother, retired from a professional writing career. She writes freelance if it pays, for fun if not. Her work has appeared in the Motherwell blog, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Modern Dog
"If We Could Just Get Married" by Lorraine Martin Bennett
– “I drove your car off a mountain.”No mercy was given to two mostly broke kids trying to start two new careers and a new marriage.Lorraine Martin Bennett is a print, web and broadcast journalist from Murphy, North Carolina, who graduated with her high school journalism medal and received a scholarship to UNC Chapel Hill. Her reporting career includes the Atlanta Journal, Los Angeles Times,
"We Thought We Were Safe Here" by Beth Bixby Davis
– I felt the comfort of a giant hug, surrounded by these beautiful mountains.My heart is heavy for what others are going through.Beth Bixby Davis was born in Northern New York and moved to the Asheville area of North Carolina in the mid-1960’s where she reared her family, raised Arabian horses and had a 30-year career in nursing. Enjoying a hobby of writing, she recently published a se
"Operation New TV" by Lisa Williams Kline
– “Let’s do it ourselves.”I punched button after button, painstakingly input the titles of programs using that archaic alphabetical system and ended up in some endless inescapable loop.Lisa Williams Kline is the author of two award-winning novels for adults, Between the Sky and the Sea and Ladies’ Day, as well as an essay collection entitled The Ruby Mirror and
"Going for the Gold" by Thomas Gery
– “I can do that.” The words “stress,” “pressure,” “anxiety” appear on page after page.Thomas Gery, a common man with uncommon experiences lives in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Army with duty in Vietnam. As a social worker he helped children, youth, and adults in a variety of practice venues and situations throughout a work life of 40 years. Married with two adult
"Choices About Love" by Ginny Foard
– “You’ve got to do something about this,” they jibed him. Of course, later they told their kids that they loved us all. Usually they added, “despite the headaches you caused us.”Ginny’s parents had storytelling in their bones. Will’s hands reenacted stories, swooping up high or spinning across the table with an ice cream spoon while he added sound effects from an array of odd noises h
"The Truth Comes Out" by Joel R. Stegall
— I respected the officer and assumed he would also respect me.This was not just the assassination of the President; it was the death of hopes and dreams.Since retiring to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Joel Stegall has completed a family history dating from the early Colonial Era. Longer (and more interesting) than any scholarly work he ever wrote, he was pleased to find in his bloodline li
"Strike Up the Band" by Joel R. Stegall (part 1 of paired stories)
— whatever enlisted men played, or claimed to play, an instrumentAn order came down to me to have the band looking sharp, sounding good, and ready to lead the parade.In his career as professor and academic administrator, Joel Stegall wrote more than 35 journal articles, book chapters, opinion pieces and other such. None of these gained him widespread acclaim. Since retiring to Winston-Salem,
"A Christmas Surprise" by Annette L. Brown
– “Sweetheart, wake up! Santa’s here!” “But what I really want, Santa, is a flashlight.”Annette L. Brown is a personal essayist and creative nonfiction writer who has pieces reflecting her love of nature, family, beauty, and humor in several publications including Flash Fiction Magazine, Every Day Fiction, Bad Day Book (Parenting), and several volumes of the Personal Story Pu
"The Perfect Imperfect" by Alison Rice Bruster
– That was the plan, anyway.In that moment, we stopped feeling sorry for ourselves and remembered why we came.After a career spent finding the voices of senior business executives, Alison Rice Bruster is writing a new chapter. She holds a BA in English Literature from Queens University of Charlotte. This is her third story included in a collection from the Personal Story Publishing Project.
"Stuck in the Second Stage" by Kym B. Whitecar
– My warped resentment started after Dad died.We endured eye rolls and dagger-filled glares as we saw no other option.Kym B. Whitecar lives in Indian Trail, North Carolina, where she is a member of the Charlotte Writers Club and Charlotte Lit. When she retired from education, she finally had the time to take a creative writing course, reigniting her passion for storytelling. This is her firs
"Just Desserts" by Robin Russell Gaiser
– “I’ll take care of this, Honey.” Eleanor and I dragged our stocky, dark, wooden desk chairs up to our door to peer over the open transom at the long hall. Robin majored in English at The College of William and Mary. In “those days,” creative writing was absent from the heady curriculum, although Robin wrote poetry which was published in several lit magazines. After college, she taught high sc
"Just a Doodle?" by Janice Luckey
– “If the test was positive, what would I do about it?”Tipping the scales at four pounds and four ounces, our first granddaughter arrived still shimmering with heaven’s leavings.Janice Luckey, who lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, remembers when writing became a rhythm of her life. She scribbled a romance novel in a 3-ring binder in junior high school sparking a life-long love of all thi
"My Father Figure" by Akira Odani
– With a friendly smile, he joked, “Akira, you caught a big fish!”Some nights, my younger brothers and I would huddle around him, pleading for his stories.Akira Odani lives in the historic city of St. Augustine, Florida. He is a member of the Taste Life Twice Writers’ Group and the Florida Writers Association. Born in Tokyo, he graduated from International Christian University and earned his
"Shooting Stars" by Anne M. Middleton
– Drew and I became “a thing.”He turned all the girls into giddy puddles of goo.Anne M. Middleton lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where for over two decades she was the State of North Carolina’s lead appellate attorney in the areas of crimes against children and adult sexual offenses. Since retirement, Anne enjoys writing, performing improv, and exploring spiritual traditions of mysticism
"A Landlubber's Tale" by Arlene Mandell
— I liked him, he liked me. We needed to find common ground.Emotions drained, I was, nevertheless, taken with his coolheadedness in the face of danger.Arlene Mandell is an artist living in Linville, North Carolina, proudly celebrating her 12th year at Carlton Gallery in Banner Elk. (carltongallery.com/arlene-mandell). A native New Yorker, relocating to the Blue Ridge Mountains with Captain
"Behind Lace Curtains" by Valerie J. Macon
— Leaving the door ajar, she darted out in her slippers and bathrobe.Hugging the bag of Oreos, Christie grinned at her mother’s face in the window as she skipped past the door.Valerie J. Macon, a writer residing in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, finds poetry and prose woven into the fabric of everyday life. With six poetry collections to her name (Shelf Life, Sleeping Rough, A String of Blac
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صداستان: ساعتی با موسیقی
Becoming: HER with Nikki Spoelstra
Exposing Workplace Bullying
Everyday AI Made Simple - AI For Everyday Tasks
FemTech Focus
Not Too Sensitive - Empowering Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) To Own Their Sensitivity
