If you’ve read an issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine in the last twenty years, you’ve almost certainly read a story by the amazing and prolific Jas. R. Petrin. (I knew we were spiritual brothers the first time I saw his byline–I had seriously considered using “Jas. L. Warren”, which is how I sign everything, […]

BANDERSNATCHES Lucky Thirteen – part three by Steven Steinbock Herewith are my seventh and eighth additions to my list of favorite anthologies. I’m embarrassed to say how often my list has changed since I began this, a month ago. I may stop at ten, and leave the rest as honorable mentions. This time I have […]

WRITER’S MAGIC By Deborah Elliott-Upton There’s something magical about water, whether it be a lake, ocean or even a bathtub. Today it’s the swimming pool. We christened it for the season after what seemed like endless days of waiting for the pool cleaner to come and the chemicals to subside, all the while the temperatures […]

THE HARSHEST CRITIC by Robert Lopresti I recently finished judging short stories for an award and that process got me thinking about our ability — or inability — to judge our own work. Stanley Ellin said it best (and if you haven’t read his stuff, get thee to a library; he was one of the […]

NOT NOW, I HAVE A HEADACHE by Melodie Johnson Howe I have been reading writers workshop manuscripts. The good news is I discovered one very talented writer. The bad news is all the writers, talented or not, are having trouble making their male and female characters relate to one another. Why is this happening? Of […]

WAYWARD WORDS by James Lincoln Warren I love words in general, and have a crank fondness for unusual ones. Many’s the time I have snarled, “Let them read dictionaries!” with an air of overbearing superiority when a reader has wondered what this or that term meant in one of my stories. One editor I know […]

IT WASN’T DICK AND JANE by Leigh Lundin I have been thinking about Melodie Johnson Howe’s comment about people who dismiss certain genres and an observation James Lincoln Warren made about certain teachers. I realized I had a chequered past (pasts can be checked or chequered, but never checkered) regarding school and literature. 3rd Grade: […]