Christmas, Early, By Way of December PANK

The December issue brings our year to a close in a remarkable fashion with writing from Rae Bryant, Alan Stewart Carl, Kristina Marie Darling, Tyler Flynn Dorholt, Sean Doyle, Noah Falck, Raina Lauren Fields, Nate Innomi, Jeffrey Carl Jefferis, Annam Manthiram, Lacey Martinez, Hannah Miet, Karen Munro, Sherry O’Keefe, Daniela Olszewska, Shannon Peil, Shanti Perez, Suzanne Rindell, Merritt Tierce and Lydia Unsworth.

There’s a really interesting mix of work in the December issue. Rae Bryant’s “Emperatriz De La Orilla Del Río Or  Empress Of The Riverbank,” is lush and romantic and the story reads like a grand myth. Bryant manages to put a lot into a short story and does so very well.

“The Nameless,” by Alan Stewart Carl is haunting and employs a sharp narrative style that immediately caught our attention.

Kristina Marie Darling makes another appearance with three poems, each of which play with form in really elegant ways.

The four proses from Tyler Flynn Dorholt are  high concept nightmares directed by four renowned movie directors.

We issued a statement, if you will, that we did not care for stories about cats. Sean Doyle took that statement as a challenge and dared to send us a cat story. We grudgingly admitted we loved the story, despite the inclusion of a cat.

Noah Falck takes us to Cincinnati with images of lipstick and tequila and the light from a television.

Two poems by Raina Lauren Fields take up first, a moment, then a place.

There’s a really visceral, almost grotesque quality to Nate Innomi’s disconcerting Drive-Thru.

Jeffrey Carl Jefferis tells us the story of Cool Steve, a man with a mission.

“A Sort of Theology,” by Joe Kapitan is a different kind of war story, but one that will stay with you for quite some time.

We lovve superheroes so it was only natural that we would love  Annam Manthiram’s pitch perfect “Superheroes,” where she tells us all we could ever want to know about masked crusaders. You will learn things.

As of late, we have read quite a few apocalyptic baby stories, so much so that we considered putting a brief moratorium on the subject. Then we came across Birth Defect and realized just when you think you have seen everything a certain kind of story can do, there’s a writer out there who will surprise and enthrall you.

Hannah Miet’s poem takes up modern love the way all writing should in a fresh yet familiar yet fresh way.

Department meetings are interesting beasts. Karen Munro lets us take a look at the agenda from one such meeting.

Sometimes a poem doesn’t end where it started as is the case with work from Sherry O’Keefe.

The three poems from Daniela Olszewska start with excellent titles and only improve from there.

Shannon Peil’s Sam focuses on the tiny increments by which we measure our days and is one of those stories about everything and nothing all at the same time.

Krsto The Little Spy is a bit different from the work we normally publish but it is a fine story, rich with detail, and one we knew we had to have.

Suzanne Rindell’s story is one about a woman, her boss, the things they (do not) share and a beautiful Italian man.

We are really digging Merritt Tierce and we think you will too after reading her work in this issue.

The issue comes to a close with Lydia Unsworth who tells a story in parts with writing that is precise and so very intriguing.

Check it out. Enjoy! Tell us what you think.