February’s Flashtastic Lineup!

Thanks to all who braved the rain to join us in the gallery and to those who watched live from around the country. Your support and camaraderie enrich the Flash Fiction Forum community. A big round of applause for our featured readers!

Author & Works:

1.     Jim Daniels, “Comment Card” published in Comment Card (Carnegie Mellon U. Press)

2. Aaron Rabinowitz, “The Sugar” 

3. Keith Gaboury, “Don’t Lick the Wallpaper” 

4. Christina Hoag, “The Museum Guard” 

5. Christine Monihan, “House Hunting”

6. Michelle McGurk “Altitude Sickness”

7. Maria Judnick, “Stitched with Love”: On Thoreau, Knitting, and Rural Minnesota Quilt Auctions.” https://www.scu.edu/cas/initiatives/center-for-the-arts-and-humanities/cah-blog/maria-judnick/blog-posts/stitched-with-love-on-thoreau-knitting-and-rural-minnesota-quilt-auctions-.html

8. Monica McHenney, “Banshee” 

9.  Tshaka Menelik Imhotep Campbell, “Boll”

10. Tania Martin, “A Moon Madness Diary”

11. Veronica Montes, “Lint Trap” published in the chapbook, The Conquered Sits at the Bus Stop, Waiting (Black Lawrence, 2020)

We had a packed house for our October reading series. Thanks to all our fabulous readers and audience members!

October 9th, 2024, 7 PM

Authors and Works:

  • Michael Cannistraci, “Twilight Companion.”
  • Cynthia Benson, “The Boy with Big Ideas.”
  • Jan Conn, excerpt from “Part Star, Part Venom, Part Bone, Part Microplastic.”
  • Elizabeth Bennett, “Milanos.”
  • Larry Hollist, “The Butterfly Effect.”
  • Tarn Wilson, “Wanted: Lighthouse Keeper,” published in https://sweetlit.com/ and runner up for their 2024 contest.
  • Cynthia Kaye, “Another Boy,” published in Superstition Review, Issue 31 Spring 2023.
  • Paul Shaw-Smith, “The Lexicon of Saltwater.”
  • Lisa Rosenberg, “The Gift.”
  • Grant Faulkner, “Thirty-three Questions.”
  • Keiko O’Leary, “Close Encounter in the Public Bathroom,” published in The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters.

Thanks to Lita Kurth and Keiko O’Leary for their book give-a-ways!

Follow us on Facebook: flashfictionforum & Instagram @flashficsj

May 8th, 2024: Mmmm, May bequeathed us a bounty of fantastic flash. Thanks to everyone who made the trek to San José and those who stayed up late on Zoom. But also to our regulars – we love you guys.

Authors and Works:

  1. Marc Gumbin, “Musings of a Microplastic.”
  2. Gahl Shottan, “Benjamin Franklin Notebook.”
  3. Miera Rao, “Infestation.”
  4. Tania Martin, “Omissions.”
  5. Amanda Chiado, “Heaven’s Bend.”
  6. Aaron Rabinowitz, “Henry Turns 100,” published in Cherry Tree: A National Literary Journal.
  7. Julie Kitzenberger, “Divine Help With Algebra.”
  8. Paula Wagner, “El Tapatio.”
  9. Colleen Shoshana McKee, “Humans Suck.”
  10. Aline Soules, “The Curse of Blue Silk.”

Our March Flash Fiction Forum Line-up offered a Bouquet of Sad and Funny Flash. Thanks to our fabulous readers and warm audience — we laughed and teared up, and we gave away two excellent books.

Authors and Works:

  1. Niles Reddick, “Going to the Movies with Elvis,” published in Third Wednesday and Who’s Going to Pray For Me Now? (collection)
  1. Michael Rojas, “The Marriage Knot.”
  2. Jason Thornberry, “Chisle Saves My Hide.”
  3. Bob Armstrong, “Baby Shoes.”
  4.  Dave Denny, “Passing Parade,” from his collection, Angel of the Waters.
  5. Lita Kurth, “Diphtheria Cemetery.”

[BRIEF INTERMISSION: DRAWING FOR BOOK

  1. Reena Kapoor, “Rent A Gent.”
  2. Susan Nordmark, “Hedge Apples.”
  3. Yegi Modirzadeh, “Fake Aunty.”
  4. Victoria M. Johnson, “Bones on the Clock,” published in Perfume River Poetry Journal.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night on January 10th, but We Lit Up The Gallery With Stellar Readings!

Author & Works:

  1. Sally Connors, “Suffer the Children.”
  2. Mimi Zieman, “The Bus”.
  3. Casey Mulligan Walsh, “Still.”
  4. Suzanne Martinez, ” Mind the Babes,” published in Vestal Review.
  5. Elizabeth Bennet, “Banana.”
  6. Tania Martin, “Cut Paper Stars.”
  7. Daryl Bryant, “Who We Are.”
  8. Nils Peterson, ” A Winter’s Tale: Lost Pages from Vasari.”
  9. Melissa Flores Anderson, “The Jump Rope.”
  10. Rob Pesich, “Teratoma,” published in Perfume River Poetry Review, Issue 3.
  11. yves., “Tragic Accident.”
  12. Kim Amundson, “Cold Case #1: Jack and Jill.”
  13. Tarn Wilson, “Buttonology.”

Thanks to our readers and audience for a fabulous night. Hope to see you all on March 13th for some fresh flash!

Our Dynamite October 11th Reading Series – We had a big line-up with stellar stories that ranged from horror to heartbreak. Thank you, dear readers! And thanks to our great audience!

  1. Aline Soules, “Fingers.”  
  2. Kristin Camitta Zimet, “Why I Shop Second Hand” published in Caesura, “Objects in the Mirror,” edition, 2023.
  3. Toni Kochensparger, “I’m Doing Just Fine Without You.” 
  4. Tianyang Jiang, “Skin Poetry” Forthcoming in The Path: A Collection of Canadian Short Stories
  5. Susan Nordmark,“ Ghosts,” published in Heavy Feather Review, May 2019.
  6. Eileen Vorbach Collins, “Finish What’s on Your Plate,” published on Eat, Darling, Eat.
  7. Lita Kurth, “Advantages,” forthcoming in Cherry Tree

BRIEF INTERMISSION

  1. James Fowler, “Contre Temps,” published in Caesura, “Objects in the Mirror,” edition, 2023
  2. Leah Mueller, “Love Me Tender,”previously appeared online on New Flash Fiction Review.
  3. Jan Steckel, “The Mango Woman,” first appeared in The November 3rd Club and just came out in her debut collection of short fiction, Ghosts and Oceans from Zeitgeist Press, 2023
  4. Sharlene Chiu,“Her Majesty’s Declaration”
  5. Carol Park, “Sword Ferns and Skull.“ 
  6. Luisa Faustina Minquela, “I Am From.”

Celebrating Ten Magical Years of Flash Fiction Forum! Thanks to our illustrious readers and our fabulous audience for making the night sing!

August 23rd, 2023

Authors and Works:

  1. Wendy Thompson, “According to R_____” 
  2. Sarah Sarai, “The Horse Not-Looks” 
  3. L. D.  Nguyen, “A Dark and Hungry Truth”
  4. Tania Martin, “Hard Sell”
  5. Renée M. Schell “Academy of Silences” 
  6. Linda Lappin, “Caregiver” 

INTERMISSION

  1. Marilyn Horn-Fahey “Good Boy” 
  2. Gary Singh, “Reunited in the Fourth House” 
  3. Reena Kapoor, “Prayer Beads and Samosas” 
  4. Keith Gaboury, “Ms. Sky Thunderclaps” 
  5. Eva Smith–Glynn, Excerpt from “The Steps”  
  6. Nelly Shulman, “The Island”