Terry Sartin #Cancer Warrior by Joshua Heston Terry Sartin remembers his diagnosis of stage four colon cancer with the clarity reserved for life-changing moments. He was 42 years old, recently training young police cadets in defense tactics. His wife and a corporal had talked him into a colonoscopy after he mentioned passing blood. “I’d chalked…
Miss Kathryn by Gideon Pellegrino The cuckoo clock on the wall is ticking. Faintly, but still it ticks. Reminding me that time is constantly passing. Forever moving. Never stopping, not even for a small moment to let us catch up. We pause and hold our breath, but no, time does not stop. Time… whether we like…
State of the Ozarks Fest by Caleb Brubaker Photography by Joshua Ong “I am the goblin king!” shouted the big man dressed as one of Tolkien’s orcs. He continued shouting the words as he sauntered past booths of vendors, artists and artisans, adamantly insisting everyone come to his goblin feast. All sorts of folks gathered…
Civil War Days at Hulston Mill by Joshua Heston Some stories are better told with photos. On June 10-11, hardworking re-enactors led by Brent Paschall brought the realities of war in Missouri to life. “I always tell people, ‘Once that first bullet goes past your head, it’s not about sides. It’s about surviving.'” War is…
“I’m a visual artist, not a poet,” says Christine Riutzel. “But when I read Medda’s poem, I could see a really strong woman.” “Baal-perezim woke me up early one morning about five years ago,” explains poet and singer Medda Beam. “A certain line entered my mind while I was still dreaming and struck me as peculiar,…
House of a Hundred Rooms: stories the ghost tour guides do not tell by Keith Scales If anything in these legends should shock the faith of the over-scrupulous reader, he must remember the nature of the place, and make due allowance; he must remember that he treads the halls of an enchanted palace, and that…
The Skeletal Princess by T’iana Sage & Art by Kaitlynn Robinson There is a myth, told by the ancients, that within a grove, in a cursed forest, lay a skeletal princess. Her skull, wet with salty tears, be filled with the memories of the life she’d previously lived, and the thoughts of the life she…
Remembrance — I Am The Land Lying ‘Twixt the Hills by Edwin Woolsey A fond farewell to dear acquaintance, too soon dismissed… Like countless white clouds brushing the unblemished face of an azure sky, Momentarily casting darker shades indiscriminately on sun-dappled slopes. While far above, the red-tailed hawk reverently circles in contemplation… Of the land…
Writers & Artists Night We celebrate original writing and artwork throughout the evening with readings, art presentations, awards and music. And for anyone who thinks art events are quiet, stuffy things where you have to dress up and be quiet… well, you haven’t been to a SOTO Night. We know how to have fun. We…
Nerd Fest by Gideon Pellegrino Nerd Fest! That was my first thought. The only place where grown men can walk around in full-body spandex and be socially accepted. That was my second thought. Sounds pretty fun, right? That all depends on your perspective. Hours of nerds in costumes running around finding things to geek out…