child, rest. i’ll never give you waking eyes. i’ll never give you a beginning. i cannot find that reason for making that whose will doesn’t concur to its being. if i were a better man i might have been a father to you.

The ballet shoes. She begged her mother to buy them, promised to practice every day. The grace they radiated. She would never stumble through the halls of school anymore. The children mocking at her. Her own sister in the crowd of bright laughing faces. She would practice every day.

A short story submission from Joy Stoffers. Enjoy!

The Alfa Art Gallery invites you to join us for an evening with the exhibiting artists of the New Brunswick Art Salon, Spring’11. If you missed the opening receptions on April 22nd and May 13th, this is not only the perfect chance to see some amazing works but is also the opportunity to get an inside look on the creative process of each artist. The artists will work on their respective art pieces at the Alfa Art Gallery as well as give informative talks on their inspirations.

The Alfa Art Gallery would like to invite artists to submit work for the New Brunswick Art Salon, Fall ’11. There are two artist categories: newly emerging artists and professional artists. All submissions must be in by September 25. Artists will be notified if their work is accepted by September 30. The exhibition opening will be held on Friday, October 21.

Collaborative Arts (coLAB Arts) is a non-profit organization located in New Brunswick, NJ, dedicated to the development and presentation of emerging local artists. coLAB Arts’ mission is to cultivate a hip, mindful, and inclusive Hub City community of artists, audiences, and critics, empowered to create inspired and inspiring art.

You make decency so difficult, my darling. There was a time when my soul was so full to bursting that the only way I could keep myself from swelling too big to fit through my house’ double doors was by loving everything in the world, which was just barely enough to keep my heart from falling apart from the strain of the stretching of its skin.

That Charlotte Lewis is the most infuriating creature on the planet! She makes it her lofty profession in life to find some flaw in my housekeeping and appearance that she can expose to the Ladies Auxiliary or Thursday Afternoon Bridge Players. Yes, I would say that Charlotte is the neighborhood predator. She is always scrutinizing my appearance, hoping to find an unpowdered nose, missing button, or – blasphemy! – a stray curler.

She looked awfully pretty sitting at the bar, eating her jumbo shrimp cocktail and kissing the rim of her dry martini glass. She ate carefully, diligently, making sure each small bite was enjoyed until she reached its tail, and even though her lips were port red, she somehow mastered the art of drinking out of a martini glass without leaving any stain.

I was six years old when I found out that nobody I loved was made of flesh. A day after my parents told me we were moving away from Madras, I discovered that my best friend was really a pile of dry leaves.