All posts in Featured Posts

May 15, 2024

“First Impressions of India” by Jon Meyer

Posted by Malik White in Featured Posts, Member Writing & Art, Writing

*Featured Image courtesy of Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash* Travelling can always lead to some memorable experiences, and Jon Meyer certainly made some memories in his visit to India. Read a snippet of Jon’s trip in his nonfiction piece, “First Impressions of India.” First Impressions of India It was 1973, and I had been a follower of Meher Baba for three years. The white light from Lord Meher through Darwin was powerful, and was still sustaining me even though the constant bliss was somewhat diminished. I spent a year at the Orrefors Glass School in Sweden and came home to be offered a job at Steuben Glass in Corning, NY. This work was quite varied, which I enjoyed. It entailed being in charge of the new apprentice program in addition to my other duties. Since the…

Continue reading →

May 13, 2024

“Who is Izzy Jean?” by Arvilla Fee

Posted by Malik White in Featured Posts, Writing

*Featured image courtesy of Kris Atomic on Unsplash* I’ll be straight with you, FC readers. This was one of my favorite stories, and I think you’ll enjoy it as well. Let’s give Arvilla Fee a warm welcome as she joins our community with her wholesome story, “Who is Izzy Jean?” The line at Make it Strong Café is long and snail-inches forward; I stare, without focus, at my phone while adhering to my personal rule #8—never engage with anyone before coffee. You may wonder why that’s rule #8, but I assure you, my first seven are equally, if not more, important. “Excuse me, dear,” comes a voice in front of me. I look up wearily and am staring down at the tiniest woman I’ve ever seen. Four-foot nothing, probably 80 pounds. Her hair is white…

Continue reading →

May 10, 2024

“Faust in Wonderland” by the Faustians

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts, Featured Posts

Conjured from a cauldron of Company actors coveting to conserve their chops, conflicted and confused concurrently with the Covid crisis, Faust in Wonderland was conceived. As it happened one day, a director, an actor and a poet deliberated on what Faust in Wonderland could artistically convey and all agreed that alliteration should be both alleviated and allayed. Beyond that critical caveat, a consensus was categorically codified that the characters in the Company would conduct plays and monologues as radio podcasts on their website, Facebook and YouTube. Because many of our thespians are also playwrights, they collectively hope to perform their original plays, monologues and “commercials,” as well as present established repertory stage and film scripts. So, wandering like black poodles, the players of Faust in Wonderland hope you enjoy our actor’s modified, but meager memes…

Continue reading →

May 7, 2024

“Complete Stop” by Frank Diamond

Posted by Malik White in Featured Posts, Member Writing & Art, Writing

*Image courtesy of Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash* Frequent contributor Frank Diamond honors us again with another one of his amazing pieces. Take a look at “Complete Stop,” where our elderly protagonist is faced with making a very important life decision. Margaret Johnson should know better. She’s driving through Lakelock Manor Borough, after all. Infamous suburban speed trap. But at 10 in the morning? She comes to an intersection, stops (a “rolling stop” the cop would contend), sees nothing in any direction except a parked SUV. Margaret continues on her way, and suddenly the SUV U-turns and tailgates her, headlights flashing the way undercover police cars do. She pulls over. “I am going to meet my husband, officer,” Margaret explains to this kid who’s about as old as her eldest grandchild. “He’s in Grantmyer Groves.” In…

Continue reading →

May 6, 2024

4 Poems by Joe Farina

Posted by Malik White in Featured Posts, Writing

*Image courtesy of Amber Kipp on Unsplash* National Poetry Month may be over, but we still have plenty of great poetry to share. Let’s give a warm welcome to Joe Farina as he joins FC’s family with his collection of somber poems. street dreams does a street have a memory, beneath its many coats does it remember every soul, who walked upon it does it long for a return, to cobblestones and carriages or quicken to the thunder of street cars on silver tracks drugged by combustion engines does it remember being fashioned by the din of picks and shovels wielded by strange speaking labourers until it gleamed, new, in overcoats of smooth concrete and asphalt marked with cryptic symbols does this street have my dreams leaking out its cracks does it smile, as i,…

Continue reading →

May 2, 2024

Michael Larrain’s “The Life of a Private Eye”

Posted by Jack B. Rochester in Featured Posts, Member Writing & Art, Writing

“You’ve made it,” says the narrator of the Firesign Theater’s “Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him.” “You’ve made it. Welcome to Side Six.” This is Part 6, the last noirvelette about Michael’s nameless private eye. Thanks to all of you who have commented, so enthusiastically, about this series. It makes Michael and your Baristas so happy to know you’ve enjoyed it. And this last one you are sure to enjoy as well, as it takes place in the Hollywood film business. Its resonant irony will have you grinning and you will appreciate the identity mashups. So without a commercial break or a single coming attraction, we pull the curtain back and roll ’em with “The Pontiff & the Wiener-Monger.” The Life of A Private Eye A Noirvelette in Verse By Michael Larrain Part…

Continue reading →

May 1, 2024

The New FC Anthology is Now Published!

Posted by Jack B. Rochester in Featured Posts, Member Writing & Art, The Fictional Café Anthology, Writing

The Strong Stuff, Volume 2, presents the best creative work we published from 2018-2020 500 full-color pages of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and art from our members This is one handsome book, and it’s big – 8″ wide by 10″ tall, just a few pages shy of 500 pages of stimulating writing and art. The cover art is an original design by one of our former baristas, Amanda Grafe. Using Amanda’s original painting, Barista Melanie Marston prepared the book’s front and back covers. The interior design and page layout was designed by Sophie Hanks, who has worked with us on several books now. FC Partner Antony Woooten guided it through publishing and printing with Ingram/Spark. The back cover. Each contributor’s color photo and bio appear in the book. This contributor’s poetry, accompanied by their art….

Continue reading →

April 24, 2024

Michael Larrain’s “The Life of a Private Eye”

Posted by Jack B. Rochester in Featured Posts, Member Writing & Art, Writing

No, you’re not seeing double. This is Part 5 of the poet’s extraordinary narrative poem about his fictional private eye. Each is told by our one and only gumshoe, each a separate adventure in the streets of Los Angeles, and in each a dame. Of course. If he can figure her out, he can solve the crime. Let’s see how he does in this episode. One more to go next week. The Life of A Private Eye A Noirvelette in Verse By Michael Larrain Part 5: Quadruple Indemnity Original illustrations by Katherine Willmore My doctors had been advising me to get more exercise, so I learned how to put myself into a trance and slipped a couple of useful ideas into my post-hypnotic suggestion-box. The first was to take nightly sleepwalking perambulations. The second tricked…

Continue reading →

April 19, 2024

“Hot Copy” by Hot Copy Radio Theater

Posted by Ruby Fink in Audio Arts, Featured Posts

Hot Copy Radio Theater re-creates lost episodes of the 1940s radio show, “HOT COPY” — all adapted from the original scripts! Hot Copy is an American old-time radio mystery drama. It was broadcast on NBC from October 4, 1941, until September 26, 1942, and on NBC-Blue from July 18, 1943, until November 19, 1944. It was also carried on stations in Canada. The program’s two-man characters were Anne Rogers and Sergeant Flannigan. Rogers went beyond her profession of being a syndicated newspaper reporter and columnist to investigate crimes, including murders and wartime espionage activities. Flannigan, a police detective, often found himself perplexed as Rogers solved crimes and patiently explained her interpretation of clues. An article in the October 19, 1944, edition of The Jackson Sun commented about Rogers: “Her search for off-the-record stories brings her in contact with priest and gangster, society matron and panhandler,…

Continue reading →

April 17, 2024

Michael Larrain’s “The Life of a Private Eye”

Posted by Jack B. Rochester in Featured Posts, Member Writing & Art

As we continue to celebrate National Poetry Month, Here is Part 4 of Michal Larrain’s epic poem. Parts 5 and 6 will appear here in the next two weeks. Thanks to those who have shared Comments – the author and your editors love to hear what you think! The Life of A Private Eye A Noirvelette in Verse By Michael Larrain Part 4: Zounds! Original illustrations by Katherine Willmore Once there was a man who didn’t flirt with his nurse.Once there was a wife who let her husband slide.Once there was a day when nothing bad happened to anyone,a day that had slipped god’s mind. It might have gone unnoticed,had not the Creator of the Universe hired me to look into it.I figured god could afford it, so I charged twice my usual rates,plus expenses….

Continue reading →