April 1, 2024

Fictional Cafe’s National Poetry Month, 2024

Posted by in Featured Posts, Member Writing & Art, Writing
Fictional Cafe’s National Poetry Month, 2024

For the 4th year, Fictional Cafe spends the month of April celebrating poets and their poetry. April Fool’s Day notwithstanding, welcome to America’s National Poetry Month! We have a full month of great poetry, written by our own Coffee Club members, to share with you. Two highlights: please welcome our new Poet-in-Residence PS Conway! Just last month PS published his first collection of poetry in a book entitled Echoes Lost in Stars. It was an immediate hit bestseller. Grab your copy from your favorite bookseller. This guy loves to write, and we’re saving a special spot for an excerpt in two weeks. But first up for the month is a frequent contributor, Michael Larrain, who has written a six-part epic poem entitled “The Life of A Private Eye.” It’s engrossing, and we just published Part…

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March 26, 2024

10 Collages by Bill Wolak

Posted by in Featured Posts, Fine Art
10 Collages by Bill Wolak

One of FC’s most beloved contributors has returned! Take a look at 10 more collages by the talented Bill Wolak. Artist’s Statement: Everywhere we look there are faces staring back at us. Out of the corner of the eye, we spy a wink from a passing shadow or a smile in a gleam of water. We project our selves outward into the field we experience. Collage sets out to record these fleeting impressions.  “Drifting on a Strangers Smile” “Aloof as the Touch of a Mirror” “Learning How to Breathe Through Your Own Scars” “The Slip Knot’s Enticing Touch” “Tingling That Deepens Every Embrace” “Quick as a Smile’s Net of Moonlight” “The Arousal of Circular Lips” “The Tenderness of Seeds” “The Whisper of Sand” “With the Flesh of Awakening Moonlight” Bill Wolak has just published his…

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March 22, 2024

“The Temp” by Michael Wilhelm

Posted by in Audio Arts, Featured Posts
“The Temp” by Michael Wilhelm

Follow the exploits of Bernie Pfelger, a clever man armed only with his wits, and a TEMP badge that opens the door to some of the most outlandish positions a man can get into. Each episode presents Bernie with a new, odd and sometimes bizarre assignment. The Pilot episode of a comedy series that documents the struggle of one man as he moves from one temp job to another hoping that one day he will be hired on. Bernie Pfelger finds himself temping at a very youth oriented gaming company. Bernie Pfelger finds himself working with a bevy of beauties who take his breath away with their line of cosmetics. We hope you have enjoyed listening to these episodes of “The Temp” by Michael Wilhelm. If you wish to hear more of these episodes, you…

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March 13, 2024

“Switch” A Short Story by Yuan Changming

Posted by in Featured Posts, Writing
“Switch” A Short Story by Yuan Changming

*Featured image courtesy of Shelby Deeter on Unsplash Love can be many things: intimate, passionate, and also . . . complicated. Read along for Yuan’s take on an interesting and unique love story. Before they joined each other in Zhuhai, Ming often complained to Hua that her love was like a loach in a rice field, full of splashing vitality, but really hard to catch, let alone hold it firmly in his hand. Given the fact that theirs was an unspeakable extramarital relationship, he knew that she had every reason to hide her affection even from herself, but since they began to honeymoon as temporary elopers on October 12, Ming has become increasingly aware that there seems to be an invisible switch that controls her emotional being.   “What do you mean, what kind of switch?”…

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March 8, 2024

“Past Due” by Xperience J

Posted by in Audio Arts, Featured Posts
“Past Due” by Xperience J

Underwhelmed by life and overwhelmed by disappointments, a 30-year-old writer and entrepreneur takes an introspective look at her life, and its shortcomings. Has her time come and gone, or is she simply a late bloomer? Meet Keena. She’s a 29-year-old, struggling artist/writer attempting to balance life as an entrepreneur while dealing with the everyday woes of working a 9 to 5. Keena explains why in life, there are no do-overs. Keena opens up a little bit more about both life and love…and how the two always seem to lead her down an unexpected yet very interesting path. Y’all still rocking with us? In other news, if you want to be a part of more shows like “Past Due”: Xperience J’s Black Audio Dramas Exist Database is NOW OPEN! https://bit.ly/blackaudiosinfo A Black Audio Drama: An audio…

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February 28, 2024

“Between The Notes” by Steve Sangapore

Posted by in Writing
“Between The Notes” by Steve Sangapore

*Featured image courtesy of Mike Castro Demaria on Unsplash* Let’s be honest: life can be hard. As artists we often create art as an outlet to relieve some of life’s stress, but what if this has the opposite effect? Read along for a transparent and insightful take from FC’s former Fine Art Barista Steve Sangapore, as he shares some of his struggles and discusses how taking a step back from creating helped with healing his mental health. The Value of Rests in the Music of Life Can art heal?  Yes. I believe that the creation and the consumption of art both have the power to heal, feed and improve the human soul and intellect. However, through firsthand discovery, I learned that there are indeed situations in life when the creation of art can not only lose…

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February 23, 2024

Dungeons and Damsels by Unchained Productions

Posted by in Audio Arts
Dungeons and Damsels by Unchained Productions

Dungeons & Damsels is a medieval fantasy sword and sorcery audio drama series by Unchained Productions. Episodes are stand-alone short stories of different characters throughout the same fantasy world. (Since each episode is very short, I’m posting several of them) In the Nurmi region, tavern entertainer Tarin uses magic to create illusions to tell his stories for coin, and finds he unwittingly auditioned for a different kind of gig.   Tavern server from Sylvanwood, Skeyo tells her companions at campfire how she discovered her innate talent reveals to her unexpected things, and brings unexpected danger. Running errands for a peculiar lord in Gardur, Tuntemus takes an unexpected journey into a strange realm. In a mountain monastery in remote Luostari, an acolyte of The Discipline is presented with a seemingly impossible challenge. And its solution, the…

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February 20, 2024

“Becoming Queen,” A Short Story by Lorraine Parrish

Posted by in Writing
“Becoming Queen,” A Short Story by Lorraine Parrish

*Featured image courtesy of Pexels on Pixabay* Doubt has a funny way of sneaking into our minds when we least expect it, and all we need is a little encouragement to push past that negative voice. Come along as Lorraine guides us through an elegant performance in “Becoming Queen.” Inky darkness disguises me among the shifting walls of velvet.  It calls to me — an energy that ebbs and flows, like blood pumping throughout my veins.   Come closer. This whir of energy beckons, sighing into my ear — Reveal yourself to me.    My skin tingles in anticipation as high-pitched whispers dissipate into an atmosphere rife with tension and excitement. Normally light on my feet, I stumble over a wooden block secured to the floor. Their expressions — raised eyebrows, and curled lips—reveal both contempt and perhaps, surprise? Whatever…

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February 9, 2024

A Brief Legacy of Steve Schleicher

Posted by in Audio Arts
A Brief Legacy of Steve Schleicher

It is not often that The Fictional Cafe does a page to honor someone who has passed. But when a person like Steve Schleicher leaves this mortal plane, he deserves to have his accomplishments shared with the world, just one last time. So without further ado, a brief legacy of Steve Schleicher. Stephen Lloyd Schleicher was born on September 14, 1965 to James and Joan (nee Wiley) at St. Mary’s Hospital in Watertown, WI. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from 1988 to 1990 where he obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Education, in Social Studies Teacher Education. From 1996 to 1999, he attended the Aurora University where he obtained a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and Teaching. He then moved to his hometown of Watertown and taught Government at Watertown High School for 25 years…

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