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ISSUE 75, MAY 15, 2026.

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SUMMER FOREST SUNSET

May 15, 2026 · HOLLIS JO MCCOLLUM · SUWANEE, GA.
Photo: "Summer Forest Sunset" courtesy of iStock.

Green into fire hues - a summer forest sunset.

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STRETCH

May 15, 2026 · HEATHER CLIMER · SNOQUALMIE, WA.
Photo: “blue reach" by Obscure Nonspecifics, all rights reserved.
A deeply introspective poem exploring the journey from contraction to expansion, using body awareness and breath as pathways to healing, release, and reclaiming personal space.

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ONE HUNDRED WORDS | 66

May 15, 2026 · COOL HAND FRANK
Artwork: "SHIP SUNSET" by Scott Padgett Fine Art, all rights reserved.

A serialized thriller told in precise 100-word installments, this tale follows a successful attorney accustomed to control navigating increasingly dangerous threats to his professional and personal worlds.

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every now and then

May 1, 2026 · EMILY SLEPSKY · ATLANTA, GA.
Artwork: "LOVE 48.60.2" by J. King Artworks.
A year after leaving the tiny blue house off Artisan Place, one writer reflects on the housemates, the noise, and the beautiful impermanence of a life that felt like home.

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SOME QUESTIONS FOR HAN CHI PAINTER MAXINE XU

Apr 17, 2026 · COOL HAND FRANK
Artwork: “The Secret Eternal Love – Destined Beyond Time” by Han Chi Art Gallery, all rights reserved.
Chinese painter Maxine Xu explains the hidden messages in her Han Chi art, the spiritual power of jade, and how ancient Chinese jade carvings inspire her contemporary paintings and abstract works.

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THE "ART" OF NONCHALANCE

Apr 17, 2026 · MARIANNA GAVURMADZHYAN · BOSTON, MASS.
Artwork: "THE SHELL SEEKER" by Ray Brilli Fine Art, all rights reserved.
This accompanying artwork is the original, protected, and sole property of artist Ray Brilli Fine Art and held under copyright. Ray Brilli Fine Art’s images, artwork, and content on this website and his website may not be copied, collected, or used for personal or professional gain without prior written authorization from him.
Why do people find nonchalance attractive? Explore how social media destroyed mystery and why emotional withholding has become the new currency of cool—and what it costs genuine connection.

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Owl, photo courtesy of CENTER for BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

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MANI ISLER’S PICK: “All of them!”
What did you nickname your first car?

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ALYSE ANDREE

COOL HAND FRANK PICK: BIRDIE (PART 1)
“’Bordeaux.’ It was a burgundy Honda Pilot and was sufficiently beat up by the time it got to me. It wasn't luxurious but the nickname was.”

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MANI ISLER

COOL HAND FRANK PICK: WANNA BET?
“’Beauty.’ ‘Beauty’ was the name of a sky-blue Chevy Impala that was not only my first car, but something I truly loved. It took me where I needed to go in style, class and more... it made me feel that I had finally grown up.”

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JASON ROGERS

COOL HAND FRANK PICK: IT’S A VINYL WORLD, AND I LIVE IN IT
“My first car was a 1981 Chevrolet Cavalier that I called ‘The Blue Bomber.’”

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EMILY SLEPSKY

COOL HAND FRANK PICK: WHEN LOVING THE SEASON BECOMES A LITTLE UNHINGED
“’Ravvy’ for my Toyota RAV4. Like ravioli.”

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ARTIST GALLERY PREVIEW

MARILYN BINDER SILVERMAN
RAY BRILLI FINE ART
ELIKYA ART
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JILLERY.
J. KING ARTWORKS
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LYNNE MCDONALD
CHRISTINA MOSER
OBSCURE NONSPECIFICS
SCOTT PADGETT FINE ART
KELLY SAUNDERS ART
KIRK STANSBURY

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ASK ME ANYTHING (I MIGHT LIE)

If cats always land on their feet and bread always lands on the butter side down, then what would happen if you strapped bread, butter side up, to the back of a cat?

J.D., PASADENA, CALIF.

J.D.,

Surprisingly, the cat would land on its back without injury because the buttered bread would cushion its fall.

Now, the kicker is that the buttered bread would also smush up against its fur. That would cause the cat to jump back onto its feet immediately. It would also cause the cat to lose its mind.

The end result is a cat with smashed, buttered bread all over its back and a destroyed kitchen.

You’re welcome.