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In spring and autumn, dragons swarm in Kettle Cove, fighting with a ferocity that drives surf up the cliffs, and fornicating in a way that makes children ask their parents difficult questions. The dragons’ blood stains the seawater purple. The dragons are too big to be seen in full by the naked eye, and too […]
Read–Ha, ha, ha, who art thou, before I thee devour? –With kisses I can make thee whole, because that is my power. –The Coppersmiths’ Mystery Play ~ He was very small when he first found out about the beautiful woman who had been turned into a dragon. The grown-ups chose to tell him the story […]
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The River Magnet by April Grant Suffering doesn’t solve anything. It just lets you see the shit that people usually suppress. The person doing the suffering in this case was Toggle, who’d taught me to play the fiddle. Normally he was a wacky old dude who had a welcome for everyone and attracted people to […]
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Morgan Pack Dogs by April Grant “So what we’ve been doing with Sugar is ‘solo training,’” said Tara. “Right.” “And what we’re going to the woods to do now is ‘pack field.’” “Exactly.” “Pack and field day!” Tara had a good laugh at her own joke. “How often do you – oh! We’re here! Take […]
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THE PEOPLE IN THE PARK by April Grant “Are you planning anything for Veterans Day?” That question stuck up like a rock in our river of small talk. I was grooming Mrs. Lococo’s dog, Hugo, on a plastic drop-cloth in the middle of her green kitchen floor. Hugo, a huge white standard poodle, was almost […]
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Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree by April Grant There was once a Queen named Silver-Tree — So the old men say in their tales. She was lovely as the stars at night But as mean as a sack of bent nails. It happened one summer morning, Just after she got out of bed. Since mirrors had not […]
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My poem “Ivy,” acquired by editor Sonya Taaffe for Strange Horizons and published in October 2013.
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Here’s my flash fiction, “The Finger,”at Fireside Magazine, edited by Julia Rios and published in May 2018.
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Revisiting older work, here’s “Roman Shade,” my anthology poem, based on a misunderstanding of the phrase that became the title. This poem was acquired for Strange Horizons by editor A.J. Odasso, and first saw publication in January 2014. Prologue A summer evening at Aunt Celie’s house: she entertained the Poet and myself. He wore gold […]
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