Under the River Bridge by Paul C. Rosenblatt The summer before I turned fifteen I often biked with my two best friends to Chicago’s River Park, thirty acres of grass, trees, paths, playgrounds, a […]

My Father Unknown by Laura Shaine How do you knock on a door that, all your life, you imagined opening? I stood at a fateful address on the edge of the historic district of Old […]

Another Season of Winners by Susan Shafarzek We’re happy to announce the 2024 Streetlight Essay/Memoir contest winners. With an emphasis on memoir, the winners are as follows: First Prize w […]

Angels by Margarita Meyendorf We were a half-hour drive from our destination and already thinking of the cool lake we were going to jump into and the scrumptious lunch we had […]

Weeds Don’t Weep but Gardeners Do. by Nancy Halgren Diligent was the only word that could be applied to my father’s pursuit of dandelions in our front yard. Clearly Iremember him in his worn work b […]

There's a Beer that Tastes Like June 1981 by Harry Lee James Once upon a time I was a soldier living in a small town on the eastern most edge of what was known at the time as West Germany. To the East, a […]

Le Francais et Moi by Miles Fowler The other day, I was watching a TV program set during World War II. An American bomber group was about to drop leaflets over Nazi-occupied territory. […]

Kali Gandaki by Connie Clark I have a fear of heights. It is a fear of depths, too. Stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon and look down? No, no matter how beautiful it may be. Sit […]

Remedy for an Excited Amygdala by Billie Hinton On the first cold night since early last spring fog rolls onto the farm like a tide. I wake to a cloud buckling in the arena, around the barn, down […]

Missive From the Snow Globe by Charlotte Matthews Not sure how we got here. But here is where we are. My next-door neighbor, Sarah, and her little sister Pearl, and me. We were eating cereal at their […]

Considering Volcanoes: What Lies Beneath by Mary Alice Hostetter Mary Alice Hostetter has earned an Honorable Mention in Streetlight’s 2023 Essay/Memoir Contest   There was no real reason for volcanoes and […]

The Hibiscus by Amy Boyes Amy Boyes has earned an Honorable Mention in Streetlight’s 2023 Essay/Memoir Contest   The hibiscuses arrived in six-inch grower pots. Packed for […]

Why I Loved the 8-Track by Karen Weyant Today, we stream any song we can find, google obscure one-hit wonders, and watch anyone make their own music videos on TikTok, but back before they […]

The Bus Was Late: a Stamford Memory by Jeffrey Coughter Jeffrey Coughter has earned an Honorable Mention in Streetlight’s 2023 Essay/Memoir Contest   On a sunny, breezy late October morning in 1959, I […]

The Bridge of Sighs by Martha Wiseman Martha Wiseman has earned an Honorable Mention in Streetlight’s 2023 Essay/Memoir Contest   My mother sighed. Frequently, variously, […]

The Drowned Place by Miles Fowler Red-wing blackbirds flew overhead, their red shoulders gleaming in the afternoon sun. The air was thick with the chirping and buzzing of wild fauna. […]

My Brother's Heart by Phyllis Brotherton Phyllis Brotherton has earned an Honorable Mention in Streetlight’s 2023 Essay/Memoir Contest   I carry my brother’s heart all the way to Salina, Ka […]

Dream House by Wendy Fontaine Wendy Fontaine is the 3rd place winner of Streetlight’s 2023 Essay/Memoir Contest An itchy palm means you’re going to come into some money. T […]

Love in Life’s Tunnels by Linda Styles Berkery Linda Berkery is the 2nd place winner of Streetlight’s 2023 Essay/Memoir Contest Ten years ago, I was the one with memory loss. I was repeating […]

Male Enhancement Or, You Think I Need a New Email Address? by Susan Shafarzek Seems like every morning I find myself weeding my inbox: delete, delete, delete, like a gardener tending a hopeless patch. I’m wary of accidentally o […]