As we approach Mother's Day, the first of two episodes looking at moms, families, and other complicated relationships.
First up, Margaret Adams' untitled piece of microfiction does what microfiction does best: capture a moment. Copyright 2005, used with permission. Visit Margaret's website.
In "The Mother Party," a daughter holds auditions for a most important job. By Rachel Lyon, copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit Rachel's website.
Sometimes you have to lose everything to know where you are. Sometimes your stuff defines you more than you think.
"Spring Cleaning" is a poem about setting the stuff in the FREE box that you really need to get rid of. By Charles O'Hay, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Charles' website.
Sometimes the things you want to hid away don't really fit into "Storage," the final poem of our National Poetry Month celebration. By Margaret Adams, copyright 2005, used with permission. Visit Margaret's website.
Is eating stuff the best way to get rid of it, asks Len Kuntz in "Oreo." Copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit Len's website.
The everyday becomes so powerful it is made illegal in "Soup." By Tino Mori, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Tino's bio.
Celebrating National Poetry Month with six fantastic pieces...five poems of all different styles and feels and one short story. Can you spot who is who?
Kicking off with a little "Perspective." This is the second episode in a row we have shared a piece called "Perspective," and I love how two different authors can go two different ways with it. By Janelle Cordero, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Janelle's bio.
Did you ever wonder what kind of punctuation you would be? Jaclyn Tan does in "Ellipses." Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Jaclyn's website.
"Apollo" is the story of a dog. Well, sort of. It's really so much more than the story of a dog. By Devyn Millette, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Devyn's bio.
"Kid" is the story of...well, I won't tell you what I thought "Kid" was the story of the first time I read it. I'll just let you listen. By Jen Karetnick, copyright 2013, used with permission. Visit Jen's website.
Do you participate in the "Transoceanic Twitter" as described by Alex Dreppec? If so, you should tweet me. Copyright 2013, used with permission. Visit Alex's website.
Ellen Girardeau Kempler leaves us today with some essential "Travel Tips." You're gonna need them. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Ellen's bio.
Back in January we had a Contributor Appreciation promotion, where we randomly drew four winners from our list of contributors. They received a prize from our sponsor, Channillo.com and the chance to have an interview feature on the show. Today I am delighted to bring you the third of those interviews.
Mary's story "Wild Ones" appeared back on Episode 33 in February. She and I had a great chat about writing, reading, and inspiration. We tried to come up with a roller derby writing metaphor and totally cracked the code of the Star Wars franchise. I enjoyed chatting with Mary and hope you enjoy listening in.
Since our chat, Mary has had two new pieces published she hopes you'll check out. One is at weirderary and one is at Loud Zoo.
Please enjoy this special feature and tune in next week for Episode 44, where we play with the line between poem and story.
I hope you'll check out our Contributor Appreciation Month sponsor, your home for serialized literature online, Channillo.com
Happy listening,
Kris
Everyone is sentenced to something on today's two-part poem/story pairing.
Kicking off the first part, second-time podcast contributor Frederick Foote brings us the story of what happens when one man gets the "Goodbye Blues." Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Frederick's website here.
Paired up with "Goodbye Blues" is t.j. peters' poem "Keel Day" about a most unusual family legacy. Copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit t.j.'s website here.
Susan Moorhead kicks off the second part of today's show with "Perspective," on what happens when you are forced to listen to everyone's opinion. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Susan's bio here.
In "Booked," we speculate on if the lawyer is the one being sentenced. By Zac Locke, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Zac's bio here.
Don't forget to send your feedback and cast your vote for the 50th episode coming June 1!
Being somewhere new takes you right out of the place and time you are from.
In "Shells to Call Home," Lisa finds herself in a moment she struggles to hold onto. By Leah Givens, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Leah's bio.
Stephanie Dickinson takes us into National Poetry Month with a sensory prose poem experience in "Big Headed Anna Nurses her Imaginary Baby at Night in the Bayou." Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Stephanie's website.
Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois rounds us out with the particular loneliness of a day at sea in "A Cruise Day." Copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Mitchell's bio.
Please don't forget to vote for your favorite story from our archives and send your feedback for our 50th episode!
A celebration of the National Pastime, flash fiction style.
In "The Game of His Life," the life of a ballplayer turns on this one important game. By Jeff Dupuis, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Jeff's bio or hear his previous contribution to the show.
As with all our April episodes, this one contains a poem. "Minors" is a great tribute to minor league baseball in all its glory. By Francis DiClemente, copyright 2012, used with permission. This piece was originally published in his poetry chapbook Pursuit of Infinity (Finishing Line Press.) Visit Francis' website or hear his previous contribution to the show.
There is a special pleasure and a special pain to being a Cubs fan. Angela Lombardo has been there in "1969 All Over Again." Copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit Angela's website, where she shares her fabulous work as a cartoonist.
"Spring Tryouts" is the story of one baseball player with more heart than talent. By Eddie Snipes, copyright 2009, used with permission. Visit Eddie's website.
This episode also introduces the podcast "Attagirl: women and girls in baseball." Find Attagirl in iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app or check out the community on Facebook.
It was a real pleasure to put together this special episode to commemorate a special day. I hope you enjoy it!
Today is all about young women main characters navigating the life after what happened.
In "Live Action Regret," it's about what you do and don't tell the new boyfriend about your twisted past. By Cynthia Romanowski and read to you in her voice. Copyright 2014, used with permission. Read her awesome bio here.
In "A-88" it's about becoming a woman in a complicated time and place and where you go from there...and what stays behind. By Meher Ali, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit her website.
Maybe it's forever...or maybe it just feels like it.
"Farmer's Wife Turns Hubby Into Scarecrow"...but she had a reason to. Honest. By Sally Stevens, copyright 2009, used with permission. Read Sally's bio here.
"The Cat on Snow" is one of those moments that seem suspended in time. By Tim Frederick, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Tim's website.
"Chickens" is about one woman's move into the country. By Carol Arnett, copyright 2011, used with permission. Read Carol's bio here.
Back in January we had a Contributor Appreciation promotion, where we randomly drew four winners from our list of contributors. They received a prize from our sponsor, Channillo.com and the chance to have an interview feature on the show. Today I am delighted to bring you the second of those interviews.
This episode introduces you to Sarah Mitchell-Jackson, whose story, as with our special episode from two weeks ago, was featured on last week’s episode. Sarah was kind enough to jump onto Skype with me and talk about her writing, her inspirations, and what it's like to be nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
I hope you enjoy this special feature, and stay tuned for a new episode with three short stories coming next week.
Please check out our Contributor Appreciation Month sponsor, your home for serialized literature online, Channillo.com
There's more than "Frozen Food" in Grandma's freezer. By Francis DiClemente, copyright 2014, used with permission. Visit his website. “Frozen Food” was originally published in the magazine The Literary Hatchet.
Holding the center today is the monster "Charybdis." By Michelle Dotter, copyright 2011, used with permission. Read her bio here.
Sometimes "The Chair" really is so much more than just that. By Sarah Mitchell-Jackson, copyright 2009, used with permission. Visit her website.
Everything is in the timing.
In "Improvisation," by Phillip Sterling, a guy walks into a bar. Where it goes from there you will have to listen and see. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Phillip's bio here.
"Dial 116" provides a service you thought would be the greatest thing ever. And it might be. By Robert Lunday, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Robert's website.
Back in January we had a Contributor Appreciation promotion, where we randomly drew four winners from our list of contributors. They received a prize from our sponsor, Channillo.com and the chance to have an interview feature on the show. Today I am delighted to bring you the first of those interviews.
This episode introduces you to Nels Hanson, whose story, by coincidence, was featured on last week's episode. Nels and I were not able to connect directly, but he was kind enough to record his answers to my questions. It's a fabulous insight into the inspirations of an author, especially after having just heard his story on the show.
I hope you enjoy this special feature, and stay tuned for a new episode with two short stories coming next week.
Please check out our Contributor Appreciation Month sponsor, your home for serialized literature online, Channillo.com
"The Silver Horseshoe" takes us to a family farm where a fable has been told for generations. It has all the classic elements...a love that can't be (in this life,) a hero, and, of course, buried treasure. Is the treasure lost...or do we find it? By Nels Hanson, copyright 1992, used with permission. A special episode featuring Nels Hanson is coming soon, stay tuned! Read his bio here.
In "Daydreaming," love once wished for can be found. By Ashley Williams, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read her bio here.
Be sure to get your baseball stories to us by March 18!
Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com
"The Intruders" by Joel Allegretti describes the moment when things appear. Copyright 2012, first published in 2013 in Thrice Fiction, republished in 2015 as part of the anthology SHALE: Extreme Fiction for Extreme Conditions and used with permission here on the show. Visit Joel's website.
"Caught Between," written and read for you by Pat Obermeier, is about a woman who dreams of time travel. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Pat's website.
Rounding out the show today is "A Place Between the Places We Call Home" by Emma Wren, a piece which attempts to answer a very common and very big question. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Emma's website.
Stop by and visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com
Aren't we all, to one degree or another, just putting on a show?
Frederick K. Foote, Jr.'s "Blue-Black" takes us to the heart of the Jim Crow South and leaves us wondering what the rules are. Copyright 2015 and used with permission, read for you by the author. Visit his website.
In "Life in Repetition," a mother must deal with the reality of her world when others have a choice to face it or not. By Sheila M. Good, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit her website.
Please visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com to connect.
A special holiday bonus for our listeners featuring two pieces of flash nonfiction.
Today's special guest is Susan Vollenweider from the History Chicks podcast.
Susan Vollenweider is a columnist for The Kansas City Star and one half of the podcast and writing team, The History Chicks. She graduated from Loyola University, New Orleans and eventually parlayed her education into a Stay at Home Mom gig until she realized she couldn't cover any bills with the pay. Originally from Connecticut she now lives in Kansas City, MO and works on the internet at www.thehistorychicks.com and www.susanvollenweider.com. She is available for banter @EssephVee
Enjoy your holiday weekend and check us out as always at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com
This episode starts with an untitled story by M. Pepper Langlinais to get you in the right (although maybe not holiday) mood. This story is copyright 2014 and used with permission. Visit her website here.
In "Sunrise," we walk with a family through their moments of most intense emotion. By Sherry Sellars, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Sherry's bio here.
A tired waitress finds a whole new world in Christopher Woods' "Sprawl." Copyright 2011, used with permission. Read Christopher's bio here.
Look for a special holiday bonus episode this weekend. See you then!
Let us know what you think at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com
Wherever you go in this world, you are always surrounded by someone.
John Mueter shares why one unlikely pair are "Roommates." Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read John's bio here.
The "Wild Ones" come to town and stir up all kinds of emotion in our second story. By Mary Alice Long, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Mary's bio here.
Adam Kluger takes us to the New York City setting of his story "Our Kind of Town" with some wonderful extra audio and shows us who the city really belongs to. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Adam's bio here.
Please let us know what you think at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com
The world keeps spinning even when some are gone. Those of us who are left get to spin with it.
"Magic Palm" follows a family through the years of Red China as a young woman finds comfort in her grandmother's words. By Kevin Brown, copyright 2008, used with permission. Read Kevin's bio here.
"Doug" follows a young man whose potential is just that...potential...to see what he does or doesn't do. By Mercedes Lawry, copyright 2013, used with permission. Read Mercedes' bio here.
In "Balloon," a tradition helps with a tough moment, but also brings back the memories of how it started. By Evan Guilford-Blake, copyright 2010, used with permission. Read Evan's bio here.
Today we wrap up Contributor Appreciation Month with one final drawing for a writer to win a subscription to channillo.com. It has been a delight to honor our contributors and partner with Channillo. Thank you to everyone! I look forward to bringing you more about the winning contributors in the coming weeks and months.
Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com
How we see ourselves versus how others see us.
A troubled girl is really just a flower in "Blooming" by Patty Somlo. "Blooming" is copyright 2010 and used with permission. Visit Patty's website.
Dawn Corrigan reads her story "Nonsense Syllables" about a very musical family who can't carry a tune. "Nonsense Syllables" is copyright 2015 and used with permission. Visit Dawn's website.
This episode also features the third of four drawings in our Contributor Appreciation Month promotion sponsored by our friends at channillo.com. Please let them know you appreciate their support. You can tweet at them here.
Visit http://noextrawords.wordpress.com to let us know what you think!
"Roller Blading in Venice" is by Julie Christine Johnson, making her second appearance on the No Extra words podcast. Her short story "Granny" was featured on Episode 23. "Roller Blading in Venice" is copyright 2015 and used with permission. For more information about Julie, including all the scoop on the launch of her debut novel, "In Another Life," on February 1, please visit her website.
"Wholesale" is by Jeff Bakkensen, copyright 2015 and used with permission. Read Jeff's bio here.
"Progress" is by Sean Antoniak, copyright 2015 and used with permission. Visit Sean's website here.
"Grow, Jesus" is written and read for you by Gabriel Congdon. It is copyright 2015 and used with permission. If you enjoyed Gabe's reading of "Grow Jesus," you'll love his YouTube channel.
This is Week 2 of Contributor Appreciation Month here on the No Extra Words Podcast, which means a lucky contributor is going to win our prize drawing. I had a chance to speak to Mary Alice Long, winner of the Week 1 drawing, and she was very excited. You'll hear Mary's story in three weeks as part of Episode 33. Contributor Appreciation Month is sponsored by channillo,com, so please head on over to their website and check them out. Also, be sure to find them on Twitter and thank them for sponsoring your favorite podcast.
Want to know more? Or let us know what you think? Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com
It's perfectly reasonable to have a thing that lives inside your closet. And when a suspicious character shows up at your doorstep demanding, of all the horror, productivity, it's perfectly reasonable to invite him in for a sandwich. Right?
"The Thing that Lives Inside My Closet," by Brandon T. Madden, is copyright 2015 and used with permission. Read Brandon's bio here.
"The Poet's Resistance," by Jason Walker, is copyright 2015 and used with permission. Read Jason's bio here.
This episode also launches Contributor Appreciation Month! Each week in January we will draw live on the show the name of a former or future contributor and honor them with a Channillo subscription and more. Thanks so much to channillo.com for sponsoring the promotion all January long.
Starting with a classic element of any New year..."The Diet." By Diane Valentine, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Diane's bio here.
Read in her own lovely voice is Aileen Hunt's "The Man Who Taught My Children About Dragonflies." Copyright 2014, used with permission. Visit Aileen's website here.
"Flowers" is a brilliant piece of microfiction about the celebration and mystery of sending flowers. By Charles Rafferty, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Charles's bio here.
Follow the love story of "How My Parents Fell in Love." By Dallas Woodburn, copyright 2011, used with permission. Visit Dallas's website here.
Heartfelt thanks to everyone who made 2015 such an amazing journey for this show. Looking forward to bringing you more great content in 2016, starting with Contributor Appreciation Month in January sponsored by Channillo.com
Please let us know what you think of our new sound, new theme song, and return to our old format. Visit our website at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com
First up, a beautiful short story by Bob Thurber entitled "Our Trip to the Moon." I could not imagine a more delightful companion to this finale of our series. Visit Bob's website here.
I am delighted to share this final episode of our four-part series to celebrate Christmas. If you have missed the earlier installments, please check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 first.
As always, we would love to hear what you think at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com. And please stay tuned for a New Year's episode with a more traditional format next week.