The first story in A History of Heartache, Patrick Strickland’s debut short story collection, gives away the title when we learn an alcoholic mother “has a history of heartache, most of which she drums up all on her own nowadays.” The question that arises again and again in these loosely-interconnected stories is this: Is heartache […]
Melissa Jean
September 28, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Melissa Jean is an environmental studies professor, independent researcher and writer/editor, forest therapy guide, and community educator teaching about nature-based mindfulness and creative writing. She holds a PhD in Human Dimensions of Ecosystem Science and Management and an MFA in Creative Writing. Her writing has appeared in The Colorado Review and a variety of online journals, including […]
“Fulfillment” by Lee Cole
September 28, 2025 by Leave a Comment
In Fulfillment (Knopf 2025), Lee Cole’s second novel, half-brothers Joel and Emmett find themselves together again in their family home in Paducah, Kentucky. You don’t have to have read Cole’s first novel, Groundskeeping, to easily jump into the western Kentucky world of Fulfillment. The two half-brothers are living such different lives. Emmett is broke and […]