Christine Valters Paintner is an American poet living in Galway, Ireland and the author of twelve books of nonfiction and two collections of poems: Dreaming of Stones (2019) and The Wisdom of Wild Grace, forthcoming in fall 2020 from Paraclete Press. Her poems have appeared in several journals in North America, UK, and Ireland including Tales from the Forest, Crannog, Stinging Fly, The Blue Nib, Headstuff, The Galway Review, Boyne Berries, impspired, Bangor Journal, Tiferet, Spiritus, Presence, and Anchor. You can find more of her writing and poetry at AbbeyoftheArts.com. St. Clare and the Cat She reclines with a sigh, an ache spreads … Continue reading Christine Valters Paintner

Giovanni Mangiante, born on March 17th, 1996, is a bi-lingual writer from Lima, Peru. He has work published in Open Minds Quarterly, Ghost City Review, Panoply, The Anti-Languorous Project, Dream Noir, Punk Noir Magazine, Minute Magazine, The Rye Whiskey Review, Eunoia Review, Down in the Dirt, and has upcoming poems in Fearsome Critters, Three Rooms Press, and Cajun Mutt Press. In writing, he found a way to cope with Borderline Personality Disorder. The writing of a memoir I am still without a job, without motivation to even get out of bed. All I do is sleep, feed the dog, play … Continue reading Giovanni Mangiante

Marc D Brown is a Yorkshire poet with a less common approach to poetry, a way that has been described as more lyrical and free verse. Marc has been writing poetry and lyrics since the age of 15, now nearly 35 is currently working on his fourth collection titled ‘CHANGE’ due for release late 2020 – early 2021. Other collections are   1. Words of Marc D Brown                             2. 20Seven       3. The Lost Art of Self Map Lines What gave us the right to define borders and where they sit? For the majority It’s just luck of … Continue reading Marc D Brown

Melissa writes about finding things in places she thought were empty. Her recent poems and essays can be found at the Feminine Collective, Prometheus Dreaming, and The Write Launch. She has work in several Poet’s Haven Digest Anthologies and her Poem, Your Phone Call, appeared in the Blue Nib 2017 Anthology. She’s a frequent contributor at The Blue Nib.  A Valid Exit I won’t be dressed in wood or satin stored in an absurd container with a lid pumped full of toxic nonsense my face painted with false hopes my body  laced with pretty  little romantic lies. Reduce me to … Continue reading Melissa Mulvihill

Susie Gharib is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde with a Ph.D. on the work of D.H. Lawrence. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in multiple venues including Adelaide Literary Magazine, The Curlew, The Ink Pantry, A New Ulster, Down in the Dirt, the PLJ, and Mad Swirl. Lusterless A moonlit evening keeps Maggie in the cloister. The moon she used to love on sleepless nights has become a foe with baleful eyes. Each day she pares it with the blade of her mind for a moonless eve brings Nicholas to her side. He never explains how he manages to … Continue reading Susie Gharib

Ann Christine Tabaka was nominated for the 2017 Pushcart Prize in Poetry. She is the winner of Spillwords Press 2020 Publication of the Year (Poetic), has been internationally published, and won poetry awards from numerous publications. She is the author of 10 poetry books.  She has recently been published in several micro-fiction anthologies and short story publications.  Christine lives in Delaware, USA.  She loves gardening and cooking.  Chris lives with her husband and three cats. Her most recent credits are: The American Writers Review; The Phoenix; Burningword Literary Journal; Muddy River Poetry Review; The Write Connection; Ethos Literary Journal, North of Oxford, … Continue reading Ann Christine Tabaka

Yash Seyedbagheri is a graduate of Colorado State University’s MFA program in fiction. His story, “Soon,” was nominated for a Pushcart.  Yash’s work is forthcoming or has been published in WestWard Quarterly, Café Lit, 50 Word Stories, (mac)ro (mic), and Ariel Chart. Blue Shadow blue shadows shimmer over snow while I walk weary country road crescent moon whispering white rows of pines broken only by faint lights across distant valleys a goose honks, unseen honking hanging over the blue hush where are you going tonight, goose? Jell-O Empire Older sister Nancy and I loved Jell-O, its jiggly form, something light … Continue reading Mir Yashar Seyedbagheri

Ahmad Al-Khatat was born in Baghdad, Iraq. His work has appeared in print and online journals globally and has poems translated into several languages. He has been nominated for Best of the Net 2018. He is the author of The Bleeding Heart Poet, Love On The War’s Frontline, Gas Chamber, Wounds from Iraq, Roofs of Dreams, and The Grey Revolution. He lives in Montreal, Canada. Unknown Path From the day I decided to damage Your life and break Every beat of my heart I walked down The unknown path I ran into trouble In the wrong places I lived a … Continue reading Ahmed Al-Khatat

Ziaul Moid Khan grew-up in North India countryside named, Johri. He is the youngest among his six siblings. His father A.M. Khan (d. 1990) was an Urdu writer and a sensational human being while his mother, Ansar Fatima is a homely lady. He is a speculative fiction writer and romantic poet. Zia is the author of short stories: ‘The Gold Research’,‘A Country Singer’ and ‘The Farmers in the Fields’. His work has featured in Fiction Southeast, Impspired Magazine, Artifact Nouveau, Literary Orphans, PLJ, Smoky Blue Literary & Arts Magazine and elsewhere. He teaches English at Gudha International School, Jhunjhunu and resides in … Continue reading Ziaul Moid Khan

Henry Bladon is based in Somerset in the UK. He is a writer of short fiction and poetry with a PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Birmingham. He is the author of several poetry collections and his work can be seen in Poetica Review, Pure Slush, Truth Serum Press, Lunate, and O:JA&L, among other places. Un-uttered Play for an Abandoned Theatre The original play (not showcased here as the cast never got going) is actually called The Unexamined Ethics of Scrutiny and is about the importance of privacy in the age of creeping surveillance. Cast: The Impresario, … Continue reading Henry Bladon