It wasn’t when I got the hang of cursing, exquisitely and generously, tutored by the bigger kids at the back of the school bus. It wasn’t when I puffed on my buddy’s mom’s unfiltered Kools in the woods—throat raw, lungs afire, coughing triumphantly. It wasn’t when I thumbed through Dad’s Playboy magazines and delighted at the sight of nipples peeking through an open plaid flannel shirt. It wasn’t when I thought I was the last one on the playground to know how babies are made. (After a night in a tent in the backyard with … Continue reading Splitting Wood by David Sapp→
Wendy Kennar is the 1st place winner of Streetlight‘s 2026 Essay/Memoir Contest Within my first few years of teaching, the district’s grading system changed. Instead of the familiar A, B, C, D, F letter grades for academic achievement, students would now be graded on a 4, 3, 2, 1 scale. Many teachers at our school, including new teachers like myself and veterans with over a dozen years’ of experience, didn’t like this new system, mainly because it was so vastly different from the traditional grading system everyone knew and understood so well. I believed the change from … Continue reading On A Scale Of . . . by Wendy Kennar→
One day after school, I stepped into my room and immediately felt that something was wrong. My eyes darted to the bed, and my heart stopped. The mattress was gone. My diary—the one I’d hidden so carefully beneath it—was missing too. I rushed to the balcony, where laundry usually fluttered on a frayed line. There it was: my palm tree mattress, spread out in the sun like a giant pancake. But my diary was nowhere to be found. Someone had discovered it. And deep down, I knew exactly who. Then my father appeared from another … Continue reading When My Secrets Were No Longer Mine by Jean Romano→
You don’t think about it unless you’re doing it. Coughing. The cough reflex is a critical means by which your body protects your airway from blockage by irritants or foreign materials. Like many bodily functions, it occurs without conscious intervention—until there’s a problem, and then it’s the only thing you can think about. An irritant in your trachea or lungs triggers the reflex, causing deep inspiration followed by forceful exhalation to expel the foreign material. When the cough reflex cannot stimulate a cough strong enough to expel the foreign body, hypoxemia (low oxygen in the … Continue reading Cadence by David Stern→
I first saw “The Man In the Golden Helmet” in 1976 on a street corner in Monterey California. At that time he was labeled as “The Conquistador.” He was painted on black velvet and framed with enough faux gold woodwork and styling to make a rococo chapel blush. He stood out among the every day black velvet visual chorus of tigers, matadors and breezily attired gypsy women artfully arranged about the centrally placed interpretations of The Three Kings—Martin, Elvis, and Jesus. Much as the original was painted by an artist within the “circle of Rembrandt,” … Continue reading The Man in the Golden Helmet by Harry Lee James→
A few years ago, I was driving home from work, encountering typical rush hour traffic. At a red light, the car radio went dead. The light turned green. I hit the accelerator, and then the realization—my car won’t start. I am a nurse, and have been involved in many medical emergencies. The sight of blood captures my attention, but I know what to do. I can react and provide the necessary assistance in crisis situations. When it is required, I exude calmness, But any car issue, big or small, is an emergency that causes me … Continue reading Rush Hour Angels by Rosanne Trost→
I’m a Chicago-based visual artist working primarily with street photography and short-form video. My work focuses on capturing the city through a retro, nostalgic, movie-like lens—observing everyday moments, people, light, and atmosphere as they naturally unfold. I’ve been building my creative profile for a little over three years. Much of that time wasn’t spent posting content or chasing metrics, but studying. I immersed myself in different formats, references, and visual languages, paying close attention to how artists translate reality into something emotionally recognizable. Nearly a year and a half was dedicated specifically to observing street … Continue reading Why Visual Identity Matters More Than Ever in the AI Content Era by Art Meder→
What do you do when something ought to be a word but isn’t yet? You’re typing in something you’ve written, and a little red line appears under it. You’re supposed to humbly backspace and obediently type something else instead, because the robots are always right. Let’s say you’re writing about the sensory experience of walking on damp sand. You’re writing from the POV of an autistic child, so you need precision. “Grittiness” isn’t quite right; “powderiness” is way off. It’s not a static “roughness”, or a “crunch” exactly. “Grind” carries the wrong connotation, and even … Continue reading What Would Shakespeare Do? by Fiona M. Jones→
Last Thursday, I attended a gathering of local writing friends where we ate food and gave out lots of hugs, along with cheers of “OMG! I haven’t seen you in so long!!” This was followed by a formal meeting where writers were invited to share updates on their projects. During many of these meetings, it’s exciting if one publication or big milestone is announced, but this time there were four. While they were all huge, one was particularly joyous for me. Author Jody Hobbs Hesler and I have spent years talking about the milestones, setbacks, rejections we’ve received … Continue reading Like your relationship with Creativity? If not, Julia Cameron can help you change it. by Lisa Cooper Ellison→
Despite a mountain of unfinished drafts, I am compelled to start another book. While drafting an essay something clicked, a connection was made in my brain, and I want to share those thoughts in a way that will create similar connections for the reader. Maybe this will be the one I actually complete. Excitement drives the ceremonious opening of a new Word doc. After typing a couple hundred words it occurred to me that some of what I had just written would work well for another book I’ve thought about writing. No harm in jotting … Continue reading What AM I Looking For? by Paula Boyland→
Streetlight Magazine is the non-profit home for unpublished fiction, poetry, essays, and art that inspires. Submit your work today!
