Public Republic

Photo: Albena Popova Anna Grace – Let The Feelings Go 2009 Selected by Mega Dance FM Radio

Sheri Wright Jim Lally’s love of earth is presented to us quietly, deeply, much like his description of a Quaker gathering in his poem At The Quaker Meeting. This book shows us that we can live in a balanced way with our surroundings, with each other and that change does not require coercion, that it […]

Elayne Clift Photo: Tony the Misfit (taking a break) Although my mother and father went directly to Philadelphia and Toronto, respectively, when they arrived at Ellis Island at the beginning of the 20th century, I have always imagined them living for a time on Hester Street, that teaming gateway to a new country that would […]

Roumen Leonidov Photo: Mira Dimova Every morning I tear away the tip of my tongue so that I can lick so that I can lick and I lick and I lick tranquilly the fishbone of tranquility. Who can keep me from licking I was ordered to lick my lips I was ordered to lick my […]

Kenneth Pobo Photo: mikebaird My Sunday School teacher mom wears a green dress. In baggy pants, bow tie, I’m thinking about Mama Cass, Question Mark and the Mysterians, Keith. Glenn laughs, talks out of turn, interrupts. His mom, Lydia, stalks in, gives him a SLAP across the face. Glenn, no expression, like he wants to […]

Christina Lovin Photo: FotoDawg The snow came first, and then the rain— it froze to everything exposed, increased upon itself like grief or love left unexpressed, until the heavy branches sagged with melancholy weight. Some crashed to earth, some fingered roofs or cars, electric lines like arcs of flight across the frozen air.

Joan Donaldson Photo: RonAlmog From the foam I pulled myself from Lake Michigan and peeled away my selkie skin. Waves tugged at my lengthening ankles. My new toes dug into the wet sand, weathered bits of quartz and feldspar. The last rays of the angled sun mingled silver and apricot across the ripples, as I […]

Maria Aladzhova’s interview with the photographer Jessica Flavin You are such a young artist. Have you always been interested in photography or did it come on the spur of the moment? I became interested in photography when I was about twelve or thirteen. From a young age I’d been bought up in a creative environment, […]

Photo: lepiaf.qeo *** Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. *** Photo: Niffty *** Love is like a fruit in season at all times. Love can warm three winter months.

Roger Conner Jr. Photo: banoootah_qtr James and Anita lay on the bed, flat on their back with not a stitch of clothes on. This was first time they had done this in years, maybe since college. It was a cool night for July so the air conditioner was off and a soft breeze moved ever […]

Leatha Kendrick Photo: rolands.lakis This boy sleeps on my lap, his fists curled and pink as April oak leaves. His feet root against my arm. His head a soft arc against my bent arm. When I reach across his belly’s curve, my arm brown-spotted, pale, his breath unfurls a scream. I am the rotting log […]

Christina Lovin Photo: clspeace “A woman without humor is a lost woman.” Djuna Barnes Nellie wore Slightly Wicked cologne— the bottle shapely, a deep shade of rose: that blush from a woman who understands the bawdy joke, the double entendre— a knock off ordered from catalogs of household supplies—brushes, brooms, dust mitts, cleanser— and delivered […]

Mariana Velichkova Photo: Catherinette Rings Steampunk I have tried so many times to forget about you to delete you to erase you to get over you even to pretend I never met you And of course to graciously move on… Well, with the same success air or fire can turn into a stone.

Becca Books Photo: jurek d. Fifty years here. Then all in one stroke… My turn now. No help but to go. I’m Old Folk. Let me see, let me see. What will I need? What does it mean when you’re even past need? The one single thing I wish I could bring Is the warming […]

R. L. Burns The elevator opened on the twelfth floor and Rose hurried out of it, glad to escape its confines as well as its emptiness. Elevators made her sad now – especially hotel elevators. She still couldn’t believe that he was not coming.  She had made this reservation some time ago – ha! It seemed like […]

Peycho Kanev Photo: Pink Sherbet Photography are dead and although I am still leaning towards this window can no longer hear their barking against the moon; the cats are sleeping on the red rug redder than a blooming rose, redder from your blood and I think of leaping bodies from the bridges of the world, […]

Mariana Velichkova’s interview with the photographer Paul Hessell What did spark your interest in Egypt and ancient history? I have been interested in history since my grade school days; it was my favorite subject in school. At times the class ended up being a dialogue between the teacher and myself. I became intensely interested in […]

Photo: reinante *** Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend. *** Photo: reinante *** In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.

An interview with artist Sophie Holstein by Maya Kolarova Photo: Personal archive Sophie Holstein – biography notes and artist statement I was born in 1983 in North of Germany. After I graduated from high school in 2003, I moved to Madrid for half a year to learn Spanish. I was curious to discover new places. […]

Roger Conner, Jr Photo: ComputerHotline Everyone wants to get home from work, because of the snow, you know? I left the store going slow, and coasted, it looked a bit dangerous, glistening crystals. The light was green to go, the right turn was home, but I went on. Straight through the light, I couldn’t stop, […]