Falling By Danielle Orr Make coffee, eat coffee cake. “Open up a pomegranate,” I say to myself. Allow the bursts of blood-red juice and tartness splash my mind, cleanse it.…

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Liberated, Madly By Shelley Gaske and the Adoptee-Writers of Cohort 18 This Mad Libs®-style piece was created, done, and read in celebration of the final class of cohort 18. You…

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Turning the Page By Barb H Donating four boxes of books last summer was liposuction for my loft shelves, and for the pretender I've portrayed through an array of titles,…

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The Puzzle By Jean Kelly Widmer I stand at the top of the stairs and flip on the light. I’ve been sent to fetch a fresh puzzle for us to…

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Losing the Simulacra By Mila X Slipping into my new skin, I got many things. A roof. Food. Family? Family trips. Nannies who came and went. Strength. Schooling. Languages. New…

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These Words By Audrey B These words are being created, Birthed from the 4th floor of a hotel, in a place I don't live, a state whereI am a visitor, at a time, unfamiliar. I…

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Puppy By Rebecca Cohen Before there were words, there was Puppy. Before memory, Puppy. My first word: “Puppy.”Puppy: a gift from Grandma at our first meeting, a fuzzy stuffed friend…

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When Kinship Sings By Erica Curry Van Ee LISTEN TO THE AUTHOR READING: I traveled to Estonia in July 2025, expecting Estonia's Song and Dance Celebration to be the highlight…

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A Blessing for My Inner Child By Jennifer G. Hiltebeitel LISTEN TO THE AUTHOR READING: Blessed are you little one,whose first mother disappeared without saying goodbye.You didn’t yet understandthat her leaving was…

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