Sawed-Off Shotgun
The late-night, grainy mugshot of the woman with a coy smile tugging at her lips betrayed her name, finally, at the bottom: Brandy Wright. No one knew where she got it at first. No one understood why she felt the …
Creative Nonfiction
In Print
Student 2021
Writing Contest Winners
(I Am) Her Glittering Existence
Turquoise, Not Diamonds
by Kiana Woody of Tohono
O‘odham Community College
I am from the empty canyon walls underneath and hidden I am from the place where white corn breathes prayer into the morning dawn I am from the place where yellow corn cascades pollen into the evening twilight I am …
hūzíwí
hūzíwí waking, spiky ivory scarlet legs emerging under silky deep burrow ancient nightmare web hūzíwí arms rumbling, lava blood summoning as veins bulge dripping molten dread while finger bark rots fish bone and plastic hen hūzíwí chest broadening, …
A Mother’s Strength
Magical Benson by Tasheana Tenorio of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
The world seems still and quiet, almost like everything is in slow motion except for me. People are walking by, always giving a sad nod, like they know why you are there. His dad is on the other side of …
Scattered Threads on Dancing Winds
In the few months before cancer took hold of my grandmother, she’d flown down the coast from New York to visit us for one last Virginia summer together. I was about ten at the time and old enough to know …
Lessons in Motion
Untitled by Courtney Grammentz of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
The sound of the stream flowing behind him was comforting. The water always represented both a means of refuge and a means of transportation, so he always found himself relaxing along the shores and banks during his journeys. Things were …
Ogimaag Mitigoog*
Placid Dusk by Jenae Miller
of Fond du Lac Tribal and
Community College
Height infused by your majesty Skin rough but breakable or smooth like marble baby Arms stretched out for sun or bent to the earth carefree Tiny leaves for fingers full of veins and light grasp the rays Make them …
Glenora
Hidden History Now Seen by Daniella James of San Carlos Apache College
All thoughts of my mother are similarly complicated by one thing. She died when I was fifteen. By the time I was twenty-four, I felt I’d already lived three lifetimes, in just this one life (which I’d always hoped would …
Walking Through Ice Alaska
Refraction by Tyson Killsontop of Chief Dull Knife College
It started as soon as I left the warm cozy embrace of the cab of my white pickup truck that was parked in the crowded parking lot. The first thing I noticed was the cold—the absolute bitterness of the cold …