It was a dry, dead patch of landWhere even the pebbles shriveledBeneath the scorching sunBut you said we could make it growAnything, something, everything You said it wouldn’t be too hardTo dig a well, and carve a canalTo install vapor towers and solar shieldsOn our hands, blisters formed and burst In mockery of...

Galen walked from the fog of dry ice and on to the stage like he always did, owning it, until there was only the mic stand between him and his people. But there was no roar this time, no blinding spotlight, no desperate desire in the eyes of the boys and girls pressed against the barrier. There were no waves of love...

Catch up!Matthew BurbridgeThe story so far:Last issueStart from the beginning

Big news this week! The Media Guide disappeared a bit (again) there for awhile, but for good reason. We are officially launching The Media Guide web app for subscribers at the [+] and Patron tiers. This newsletter will continue being sent for folks that want it, but if you are more interested in an app-like...

Read George's story, The Bug, now!What does The Bug mean to you?It means a lot of things to me—imposter syndrome, social malaise, suppression of anxiety—but more than anything it really is about a bug. Sometimes it feels as though you lack all control or agency in your life, and that something else (a bug, in this...

NOTE: This is not a story about me. This is a story about The Bug.There is a bug inside my brain. I believe it is a spindly little thing with long legs. It pokes and prods at different parts of me and anyone who sees me is none the wiser. The Bug was not always there; when I was younger, there was no bug at all. I...

I've been ignoring my duties a bit here as I've been building something new that's in a bit of a soft launch now. It's a suite of web apps I've developed partly to help me organize different things, partly as an experiment. I think they are pretty cool though and you can check 'em out here.Mindlessly Massive March...

Read Lisa's story, The Retro Diner, now!What makes you hopeful these days?The collective action of concerned citizens to address current issues is the only thing outside of my own circle of family and friends that is currently giving me hope.Do you view this story as a one in the Groundhog Day family of stories?No,...

Harriet entered the building through the main lobby doors and checked her watch. Satisfied, she bypassed the elevators, and walked purposefully to the stairwell. The stairs would take longer, but she savored the anticipation. She clutched a tiny foil wrapper in her hand, and for the first time in months, Harriet...

Read Michael's story, Of Iron & Oatmeal, now!Do you view this story as a critique of military (and/or corporate) “brainwashing?”There are certain themes I come back to again and again in my writing, and one of those is the abuse of power. You can bet that in just about any Michael Allen Rose story, eventually the...

Catch up!Matthew BurbridgeThe story so far:Last issueStart from the beginning

I’m not very happy about it, but I ate the oatmeal.I got the job through my father, who was a high-falutin’ military muckity-muck with too much pull, brass balls to match his medals, and far too much confidence in a son who would rather play with himself than with guns and knives. Each time he would throw me a...