The West | JOYLAND PUBLISHING

Doublings

Shabnam Nadiya -

The first anonymous letter arrived by mail and was addressed to me. The return address was fake. It said, ...

The Dry Season

Chin-Sun Lee -

On her descent into Phoenix, Helen lifted her window shade to see a spectacular, fluorescent pink sunset, a 3-D postcard that made her snort out loud....

Now That We Found Love What Are We Gonna Do

Maddy Raskulinecz -

I. The main thing that happened to me this year is that I became romantically involved. Previously this man and I were best friends. Everyone’s reactions were...

The Stage-Divers

Kevin Sampsell -

He was just turning fifty, newly divorced, and never felt comfortable anywhere. His ass started to ache while he sat at his desk at work....

Vanilla

Ruth Joffre -

We go to the beach house every summer, some combination of my mother, father, March, and me. March and my mother have been best friends...

Fare

Joseph Han -

In our taxis we were mostly middle-aged and feeling older with each shift. Coming from South Korea and driving in Oʻahu meant that we either...

Darklands

Mara Beckman -

On a searing weekend afternoon Ingrid’s apartment was clean and everything thoughtfully arranged, knickknacks curated and pristine. As it should be, thought Ingrid, for a birthday...

Smooth

Kate Jayroe -

We met outside a coffee shop where you can pay to pet kitties. I said what do you do in the real world. He said...

The Score

Stephanie Pushaw -

When they play tennis she lets him win. Not all the time; not so bluntly that he feels babied. She’ll let him get up two-oh,...

James Perse

Aaron Sunshine -

Josiah was never really that attracted to anyone, at least not in the way that he imagined “being really attracted to someone” felt. He imagined...