Editor’s note: Freeman’s work contains very authentic and difficult adult themes. Above, original artwork by Tennille Blair-Neff Picture Perfect by Freeman Our entire family stands together for the last time ever All thirteen of us smiling toward the lens from in front of A red and green hollyhock hedgerow, Holding egg cartons and Easter baskets,…
Above, at left, artist Christiano Bellotti. At right, R’vyn Grega-Szabo with Christiano Bellotti. Try To Imagine by R’vyn Grega-Szabo Here… before you say “I can do that,” try to imagine crawling inside of a cave, alone, in the dark and all that can guide you to the exit is a tube lying on a floor…
Original artwork by Seth Daughtry. Plague Child’s Doctor by Joshua Heston There was a flicker of afternoon sun through sighing leaves. Movement came back into the world. The ratchet-like scrape of butcher knife against sharpening stone. The rustle of old newspapers being spread out on the floor. Dirty yellow curtains billowed in the wind. The…
Fourteen-year-old Cyrus Thatcher already knows he’s a freak and his father hates him. But when his beloved baby sister disappears and the townspeople won’t help, Cyrus must choose to take matters into his own self-doubting hands. Set in rural Missouri of 1924, The Plague Child’s Doctor is a fanciful plunge into fantasy, horror, and Americana…
Shot At and Missed by Dave Loftin Dad’s call for help came right at calving time. The old brindle was in obvious distress. Of course we couldn’t get close enough to help much so we called for the vet and started moving her toward the barn and working pens. This turned into quite a merry…
Alfred’s Sarsen Stone by Edwin Woolsey The young prince was missing late in the afternoon, secretly playing the part of a minstrel for the unsuspecting Danes at Uffington Castle. Alfred sang like a bird for his enemy’s enjoyment, determined to learn their battle plans. None the wiser, the Vikings sang back, carelessly disclosing everything he…
Dead Ringer by Lisa Livingston Martin The giggling announced that the Women’s bathroom door had opened. I glanced at the clock. 11:48 p.m. I returned to my notes, turning the pen in my hand as my mind worked over the scrawled handwriting. The phone started ringing. Not the phone on the desk behind me. The pay…
And now for the party… The Spring Writers & Artists Night will take place 7-10PM, Friday, June 15, at Vintage Paris. Find Vintage Paris? Click Here. Art will be showcased. The written word will be presented. Cheesecake shall be consumed. Writers and artists please check-in at the StateoftheOzarks table on the Vintage Paris Courtyard at…
24-Hour Horseshoe Hell by Joshua Ong Jazz sax at night as the lights climb up. After a long, hot day, the smell of sweat, chalk, and campfire cooking fills my nose. The cast iron sizzles with vegetables. Four of us — all climbers — dish out dinner and sit down to eat. After inhaling the food, we…
Press-run booklets produced by regional authors. Each contains little-known bits of Ozark history and folklore. Collection by Mark Kumming. Mark Kumming, Collector of Ozarkiana By Curtis Copeland, The Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters In the world of the Internet and social media, Mark Kumming is known for his knowledge of Ozarks history and memorabilia. He regularly posts…