All posts by Erika Raskin

The Art Of Unconventional Wit — With An AI Assist by Erika Raskin


 

Photo by Yucel Moran on Unsplash .   My website recently asked if I’d like some assistance composing a blog post. As I’m hopelessly behind in the book marketing department for Allegiance (promoting myself ranks right up there with a colonoscopy prep), I think: God, yes! I’ll take any help I can get! AI generously provided a menu of topics to choose from (crafting quirky characters, laughter as a writing tool, secrets revealed.) I clicked on humor as a theme. Before getting started though, I found myself glancing around for Mrs. Goode—my 4th grade teacher. … Continue reading The Art Of Unconventional Wit — With An AI Assist by Erika Raskin

Fast Art by Kate Bennis


 

As writers, artists, creators, we can sometimes lose sight of our purpose in the struggle to generate our work.  Our culture, certainly, adds to the belief that art is not valuable—we are rarely rewarded financially or honored socially. And the existential threat of AI seems to mock us saying that the work is easy, cheap, impersonal, disposable. Like fast food, fast fashion, we suddenly have “fast art.” Is it satisfying? Is it nutritious? Does it sustain us as artists? Does it sustain our audience? This idea of fast art has always been around. AI is … Continue reading Fast Art by Kate Bennis

Midnight by Cyndy Muscatel

Photo of sand dunes with person walking across them
 

Cyndy Muscatel is the 1st place winner of Streetlight’s 2024 Flash Fiction Contest   Dressed only in her pajamas and Ugg slippers, Rebecca grabbed the parka off the hook and flung it over her shoulders. The weather had turned cold right after Thanksgiving–outside the wind had picked up, scattering leaves and tossing snowflakes hither and thither. She shivered, castigating herself for leaving her book bag in the car. How forgetful could she get? She must have been in a hurry last night when she came home from work. She knew better than to leave anything … Continue reading Midnight by Cyndy Muscatel

Holidays by Dominik Slusarczyk

Photo of group of red pegs and one black peg
 

Dominik Slusarczyk is the 2nd place winner of Streetlight’s 2024 Flash Fiction Contest   We stay up all night drinking. When we eventually crawl into our tents the sun is already half way up. the rest of our party are getting up, ready to start their day, as we finish ours. —- “Being awake during the day is better” Jim says. There are multiple sizzling frying pans on the fire behind him. We are cooking bacon, eggs, steaks, anything the people cooking could find. The smell of the food fills the air and makes my … Continue reading Holidays by Dominik Slusarczyk

5 Writing Pitfalls To Avoid by Erika Raskin

Yellow and black stripes going in different directions
 

1. Losing The Plot Think of being unable to tell someone what your work-in-progress is about as a seriously suspicious mole; a flashing warning sign. The ability to succinctly explain the main thrust is important—mostly for yourself, to keep you on track as you scribe away. Whether your style is Southern—with tons of Spanish moss draped over every curvy line (à la Faulkner), or bare bones, tersely measured sentences (like Hemingway’s), having a concise destination in mind limits a lot of tragic meandering. For everyone involved. 2. Boring Your Audience Minutia is draining. And minutia … Continue reading 5 Writing Pitfalls To Avoid by Erika Raskin

A Matter Of Time by Janis Jaquith


 

Fiction is the lie that tells the truth. The truth is that there was a fire, six people died, and it was intentionally set. The spirit of Lisa prevails to help us understand … all of it. *** Lisa Landers, age seven September 26, 1969 A chess game: that was the dream. My brother Harry had been teaching me how to play. But now, instead of moving the pieces around the board, I WAS one of the pieces: little, with a round head, a pawn. A giant’s hand blocked the light as it reached down … Continue reading A Matter Of Time by Janis Jaquith

Last Words by Caroline Malone

Photo of firetruck in at night
 

I should have turned on the porch light, but the bulb is dead, I said, I had to leave her alone in the bathroom so I could stand outside and watch for the ambulance because the porch light is out, I wasn’t certain the EMTs would find the house, but she’s in the bathroom, on the toilet and can’t stand, while I was teaching a class tonight, she phoned the evening coordinator who stood at the classroom door and softly told me she needed me, but I don’t understand why a firetruck is at the … Continue reading Last Words by Caroline Malone

2024 Flash Fiction Contest by Erika Raskin

Photo of neighborhood free library box amongst purple flowers
 

  Once again, we had the opportunity to read a (virtual) stack of flash fiction pieces that have enlarged our worlds—and we are grateful. As usual, we employed the Venn Diagram method of settling on the winners, each listing our own top choices and then selecting from those that overlapped. It’s an interesting way of judging because deeply held favorites may not even ‘medal’. But that pretty much underscores the subjective nature of contests (or, you know, anything.) What speaks to one person might not, another. Which is all to say—that, contests aside, the truly … Continue reading 2024 Flash Fiction Contest by Erika Raskin

Tips For Aging Women by Christine McDowell Tucker

photo of modular sand timer
 

Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that you’re considering getting old. We don’t recommend this course of action, of course, because the risks greatly outweigh the advantages. But if you must age, here are a few tips to help you navigate what can be a fun time in your life, if you take the proper precautions. Keep in mind that the main skill required for this period of your life is that of settling; as in settling for things you had never considered you would need to settle for in the first place. … Continue reading Tips For Aging Women by Christine McDowell Tucker

Downstairs by Gary Duehr

Photo of silhouette of person, with hands on glass, through frosted glass
 

  What’s happening to me? Downstairs I can hear my wife Ann with our two-year-old Isabella, their sounds bubbling up from the kitchen. The scrape of spoon on bowl. The cooed urgings: Another bite? Zoom zoom!  Izzy’s delighted yawp. But for some reason I can’t go down the stairs. Every time I try, lowering my right foot onto the top step, the paddded carpet giving way, I start to lose my balance and heave myself back up, almost knocking the wedding photo of my mom and dad off the wall. I feel groggy like I’ve … Continue reading Downstairs by Gary Duehr