The South | JOYLAND

The Death of the Author / Maladaptive Daydreams for the Astronaut in Training

Lily C. Buday -

Teacher comes, as usual, at settling-down time— or, more accurately, that’s when you summon her. Right as you’re trying to acquaint yourself with the...

The Smoker

Alexa Economacos -

Her cigarettes always smelled worse than other ones. I couldn’t say why, exactly, since I didn’t smoke. My friends did occasionally. Or what they...

We Together Clinging

Noah Canto -

I Jaden and I have been friends for two months. He likes soccer, I do not. But we like each other, so we spend recess...

Allelopathy

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya -

Read my mind read my mind readmymindreadmymind, the mind reader’s wife thought. Her thighs tensed, neck sweated slick. The mind reader’s hand gripped her...

Her Last Time in Dothan

Halle Hill -

Uncle Otis’ heart is swelling like a balloon. It’ll burst and he’ll die soon, Mama says. Mama talks on the phone to Aunt Loretta...

A Crater on Jupiter

Courtney Causey -

So—I’m sitting up in my car garage halfway through my third Schiltz and fourth game of Solitaire when Rainey pull-up. I eye his old...

Busybody

Ashton Carlile -

There was once a busybody who lived on an island that was technically inside of a big peninsula. Her name was Maggie. Everything she...

We Cannot Yet Call It Failure

Mesha Maren -

I dream of dog death. Every night for weeks sometimes. It comes in spells, dog dreams and then nothing. Back when I was a...

Reaching for a Signal

Caleb Michael Sarvis -

Lee asks me what I think of a painting, if it captures the sense of ceremony we’re looking for, but all I want to...

Lady Leopard

Drew Calvert -

Jesse Munns was trying to tell his wife about the vault. It was June 1995, and he had just returned home from the Texas...