Public Republic

Dean Crawford Photo: b1gw1ght The first time I visit my father’s grave, I apologize to him for not being a better son. He apologizes to me for not being a better father. I have a difficult time growing up. My father tells me who I should be or who I could be, but he isn’t […]

Gerald Yelle Photo: aussiegall China were a far better partner than this Ferlinghetti of the brain, better than Discipline’s twin sister party favors, Maintenance and Flonase. They take, on the one hand, the flexing of a wrist to mean the same weak nod for as long as the moon captures daylight in its halo.

Cristina Trapani-Scott Photo: powi He was tall on Sundays, his white shirt crisp, his hazel eyes shaded by the patio awning. Heat from the grill gave his stillness movement, making him a reflection on water cut

Chris Mattingly Photo: thebusybrain By14, I had exceeded the accolades Of Satchel Paige, Nolan Ryan & Dizzy Dean combined. I had a pitch Like a ball dropping Off a table into a hole In the bat. & I threw so hard Folks heard the catcher’s mitt pop 100 miles away.

Jill Kelly Koren Photo: angela7dreams Today we locked my grandpa out of the house To keep him from bothering my mother about The cookies baking; it made me feel a louse To tell a grown man to get out, go out With Paul, your son, out working on the farm.

Matthew Vetter Photo: scottfeldstein Quite suddenly, it is autumn. The leaves of the maple fall like asterisks, mere footnotes to the pages of our days here.

Brian Russell Photo: mark lorch (The following is an excerpt of a memoir in progress.) The temperature was in the single digits and a fierce wind blew on the afternoon of December 28, 1977 as my brother Dave and I prepared to fly to Puerto Rico. Mom drove us to the airport reminding us of […]