It’s my privilege to introduce three new pieces this month.
The first is “Heartbeat,” by Michael Verderber. It was my privilege to publish another one of his works last year. Like his earlier piece, this dramatic work focuses on that most-frequent counterfeit of romantic love: lust. Love is to lust as sacrifice is to demolition. Where love gives of oneself, lust takes. Love serves, lust demands. Love seeks the good of the beloved, lust seeks its own satisfaction. So, fair warning. This is an unremittingly dark piece, but I think that’s necessary.
The second story is Vivian Wagner’s “To Richard Milhous Nixon, on his Birthday.” The building in the illustration is Taylor Hall at Kent State. I had the chance to visit the memorial there a couple of summers back, and I found myself confronted with some difficult questions. Those questions are handled admirably in this timely and thoughtful piece of micro-fiction.
And finally, we have “The Art of the Foley” by Simeon Ralph. I first fell for this piece on account of its optimistic melancholy. It’ll break your heart and give you a bit of a push at the same time. But I also love the concordance between subject and form: the author has a deft hand for description that perfectly serves the story of a man searching for just the right sounds. And best of all, it’s a good story.
So, grab a coffee, put your phone on silent, and enjoy this month’s Bull & Cross. Oh, and share it with your friends! They’ll thank you.
Happy Reading,
Daniel R. Julian
Editor-in-chief