​Tragic Figure
JD DeHart
 
They want a bent
ashen figure of resounding
scuffle.
 
Like two dogs fighting
over a bone in a barren
street. No use for brawls.
 
They wish for the
punishment, the nemesis
aspect of the story.
 
But I’m focused on the rise,
the return, the power
of the counter-narrative.
 
A story of redemption
and ultimate possibility.

Title: A Five-Year Journey
Author: JD DeHart
Publisher: Dreaming Big Publications
Editor-in-Chief: Kristi King-Morgan
Page Count: 126 pages
Paperback: $8.00
Ebook: $2.99


About the Book:
Autobiographical in nature, these poems are memories and musings from the author’s life. When he was a teenager, DeHart began writing and publishing. Some years ago, that desire dwindled. Then, about five years ago, his love of words was rekindled.


About the Author:
JD DeHart is a writer and teacher. He is currently working on his PhD in Literacy Studies. DeHart has previously published a series of science fiction-inspired poetry, The Truth About Snails, and has published poetry, articles, and stories in a wide variety of venues.


TO BOOK REVIEWERS, BLOGGERS, and VLOGGERS: Email Kristi at dreamingbigpublications@outlook.com to request your free electronic review copy (PDF) today! As always, your reviews are much appreciated.

Imposing
JD DeHart
 
I hope I’m not
imposing, but then that’s
the ontology of a knock.
 
An invitation to move
beyond small talk to
real sounds of life.
 
Sharing the story
of a wound sometimes
offers the simulacrum
of healing.
 
We are a hospital
if words, bandages of verbs,
ointments used carefully.


JD DeHart is the author of 'A Five Year Journey' published by Dreaming Big Publications

Divided We Fall
By Emily Chance
​
READER’S DISCRETION IS ADVISED:
                Alright, so I’ve been nice. I’ve accepted other peoples’ views. I’ve never told them they were wrong on a touchy subject, but I’m done. The second Liberals compare Republicans to Hitler is when I draw the line. First, however, I will mention that I am a Libertarian. I believe that people have the right to choose and make their own decisions. I see both sides of every story and I understand major issues and why some people say one thing and others say another. I was born and raised to question everything in life. Every popular choice, every choice that was shot down. I was raised a free-thinker.
                Now I’m going to exercise my right of free speech. Republicans are not like Hitler any more than Liberals are communistic. I am friends with both, and I love them equally.
                On the economy, Liberals believe in higher taxes and Republicans believe in lower taxes. Alright, so higher taxes help the economy by using our tax dollars to fix up schools and help build roads to keep small towns and major communities safe; however, lower taxes mean that instead of paying for that guy who raped an innocent girl to stay in jail longer, he gets to have a faster trial and harsher punishment. While tax dollars improve the community, they are also used to fund prisons and let someone sit there for a while awaiting a trial.
                On healthcare, Liberals believe everyone should get healthcare. Republicans believe that whoever can afford it should get healthcare. Liberals are just saying everyone should have an equal opportunity because all lives matter, and Republicans are saying that those who sit on their butts their entire lives, who can get away with taking advantage of the food stamp programs and who can get a job but choose to be lazy, should not get healthcare. If you’re working your butt off and supporting multiple kids but can’t afford healthcare, of course Republicans believe they should get healthcare. They’re not sadistic animals. However, if someone is sitting on their butt and playing video games all day while refusing to get a job so they can live off the system and ruin the great idea of food stamps to help the poor, dang right I, and Republicans, have a problem with that.
                Now for the taboo issue of gun control; Liberals believe in stricter gun laws and gun control while Republicans believe in looser gun laws and gun control. I get both sides of this issue, too. Stricter gun laws are suggested in order to help prevent gun violence and lower murder rates. Republicans believe in looser gun laws because of the simple fact that the fewer law-abiding citizens who have guns, the more likely they are to get killed. You see, criminals don’t care about laws. It happened in the prohibition and it happened with marijuana, and now it’s happening with guns. The more you try to restrict something, the higher the demand for that product is. People aren’t developing underground illegal trades with alcohol anymore—it would be the same with guns. Statistically, the cities with the strictest gun laws are those with the highest crime rates. See the connection?
                Now I’m not saying your views are wrong. I’m not trying to offend or say you’re not a free-thinker. I am just saying that this generation needs to think. I’m sorry, but my own generation is full of people eating Tide Pods and doing dangerous challenges to impress their friends, all while saying they have the right to have a say in the world. While not everyone in my generation is like this, a lot of us are. Even I don’t like to claim them. Unfortunately, I have learned that Liberals think that Republicans are similar to Hitler, and Republicans think Liberals aren’t really people with thoughts.
                Everyone has their own views on the world. It doesn’t matter who is right or who is wrong. We all need to stand for each other instead of against one another. This is the issue. It has nothing to do with who is right or who is wrong because that’s all this is: a matter of opinion. Compare me to Hitler, compare me to a moron without thoughts. I don’t care. That’s your opinion. And this is mine: the world would be a better place if we put aside our issues and accepted people for who they are, regardless of how “Hitler” or “non-thinkers“ you think they are. A wise man once said, “United we stand, divided we fall.” With people creating problems like these based on simple opinions, which one do you think we are—united or divided‽

Edited by London Koffler

​Stop Talking to the Wall
Anita Stafford 

If you’re talking and no one is listening, you might be a parent. Maybe your voice becomes louder with each successive ‘time for bed’ announcement. You’re at the point of shouting after your daughter ignores your third warning. She continues to play, with toys scattered about the floor. She has tuned you out. She has made it a nightly habit to push her limits for bedtime. This has become a battle of wills, and she is winning.

This kind of behavior is no surprise. She has been watching, listening, and learning from the first day of her life. She knows you’ll have to get to the frustration point and make some empty threats before she has to stop and go to bed. She’s only playing the game by the rules as she knows them. 

This is a problem that will only get worse as the child gets older. It’s up to mom and dad to learn a better way of parenting. In order for the child’s behavior to change, first the parent has to change his behavior. To some, this may sound absurd, but it’s true. When a parent changes the way he interacts with a child, the child reacts in a different way.
One of the most ineffective discipline methods a parent can use to promote behavior change is to make a threat that is never followed through. Most parents are aware of this, but at the same time, many are guilty of doing it. It’s easy to tell a child, “If I step on one more Lego, I’m going to give every last one of them away.”

Of course, when tomorrow dawns, Legos are strewn everywhere, and your foot makes contact with one. You shake your head and yell for the child to pick them up. Giving the Legos away was never the real intention, and the child knew it as soon as the words left your lips. This has to change. Kids must be taught that your words are not just so much hot air.

When making an ultimatum statement, first be sure it fits the offense. Some infractions are big, some are small. Second, be sure you are 100% committed to following through with the punishment that was stated. Otherwise, your words are meaningless. Your child’s behavior will not change, in fact, it will become worse, unless he knows you mean what you say.

So what about the child who doesn’t pay attention to mom or dad when asked multiple times to get ready for bed or complete some other task? Remember, the parent’s behavior must change. Look in the child’s eyes, and be sure she’s listening. Without raising your voice, tell her in a matter of fact tone the time she is expected to be in bed. Restrain yourself from giving multiple reminders. For every minute she is late getting into bed, she will have to make those minutes up somewhere. Follow through by taking the same number of minutes she was late getting into bed from something she enjoys, maybe TV time or game time. Let her know that by making an even exchange the debt is paid. Remind her this is only fair. Do this by saying as little as possible about the matter. Avoid letting the child draw you into a long discussion or argument. Make it clear that bedtime is not negotiable. Do the same for other tasks.

Use kindness when working with your child. A parent can be firm without being mean or harsh. Discipline is not about the control of another person, but about the guidance of a child. The goal is not to boss around the child so that he obeys your commands like a robot. Instead, we want to teach the child to have self-control and to think about the consequences of his actions. Children feel safe when they live with order and know what to expect from their parents. Both the parent and child feel frustrated when limits are not defined.

One way to avoid situations where meaningless threats are made is to keep anger in check. Anger is a parent’s adversary and is an enemy of clear thinking. When tempers boil out of control, parents may make threats they never intend to follow through on. Parents can stay in control by remaining calm. Anger weakens a parent’s power. Take a breather and think before speaking. You can’t teach your child better behavior when you have no control over your own behavior.

When your actions are consistent, your child will feel more secure. She will know what the outcome of her behavior will be. Reminding your daughter of her bedtime will be just that, a reminder. There will be no need to threaten, to get angry, or to tell her twice.
Although it’s best to start your child off at a young age by being consistent with your words and actions, never feel it’s too late to start. An older child will have some bad habits to unlearn, but with firmness and patience, better behaviors can be taught. The key is to say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Keep in mind, you’re the parent. Guiding your child’s behavior is part of your job description. Behavior can’t be changed in a day, so don’t get discouraged. If you’re willing to change your own behavior, a change in your child’s behavior will follow. Talk to your child, not to the wall.

Source of Inspiration
By Emily Chance
​
            I have been told by many people that I am super creative, not when it comes to drawing, painting, or imagination, but I am creative when it comes to writing short stories, poems, or papers. However, nobody has been able to understand where my creativity comes from.
            My creativity comes from my inspiration. Without inspiration, my creativity is nonexistent. For example, with creativity, I would look at a budding blue flower and describe it as “a stretching bulb of velvet sky, yawning open from the ground.” Without inspiration, I would be like, “Yup, it’s a flower, guys.”
            Inspiration can come from many things, people, places, ideas, nature, the darkness—it all just depends on your mindset on a certain day or how something looks to you. In fact, I have found that the weirdest people are the most creative. They always look at things in the most interesting light. Someone can look at a pile of wood and see the house they know it could become; I just see a giant pile of wood. It is all just perspective and how someone can see an object used.
            Lately, I have been feeling uninspired and, honestly, a bit lost in stress and the conformity of life, but just recently, I met up with someone from my past who I have just begun to care for. Instead of my inspiration coming from an idea or nature, it came in the form of a short guy with a heart of gold.
            I don’t want to sound corny, but since I met him, he has inspired me to become the best “me” I can be. He makes me aware that I should never give up on my dreams, no matter how difficult they may seem to achieve. I don’t think I could ever lose my inspiration, regardless of whether he stays close to me or not, because he has made such an impact in my life already that he has changed my semi-self-destructive mindset to a world of potential and beauty.
I believe that everyone needs their own source of inspiration, whether it be in the form of a man, woman, flower, tree, quote, music, or even a near-death experience. It is one of the many small things that makes life worth living. So, what is your inspiration? What keeps you holding on?
 
Edited by London Koffler

​My Top Ten Podcasts
By London Koffler           

                I love to learn, but as an adult, finding the opportunity is difficult. Last year, I finally opened and explored the podcast app on my phone, and I have been hooked ever since. Podcasts are perfect for me because I can multitask and take advantage of every second I have available. Whether it’s cleaning, working out, or doing my makeup, I can now learn while I complete my daily tasks. There are thousands out there, but these are my top ten favorite podcasts, all of which can be found through Spotify or the Apple podcast app. These podcasts never fail to educate me with their well-researched content and entertain me with their charismatic hosts.

1.The Psychology of Attractiveness
                Dr. Robert Burriss explores different aspects of human attraction and mating. For example, he discusses different factors, such as pheromones and body odor, which may play a role in a person’s perceived attractiveness. I have found it fascinating to discover the reasons behind our interactions and relationships with others.

2.Stuff You Missed in History Class
                If, like mine, your professor said “Sixteenth Chapel” instead of “Sistine Chapel,” you could use a little History lesson. From How Stuff Works, Stuff You Missed in History Class delves into both famous and lesser-known historical people and events. Recent topics of discussion include Andrew Carnegie, Leeuwenhoek’s discovery of microscopic life, and Ireland’s Easter Rising of 1916. I swear I have learned more about history through this podcast than I ever did while I was in school.

3.Reply All
                Reply All examines how humans and technology interact and affect each other. The hosts help resolve unique problems associated with the internet, such as identity theft, phishing, and scams. In my favorite segment, “Yes Yes No,” the co-hosts explain the meaning of internet memes to their computer-illiterate boss. I am not particularly interested in technology, but once I listened to the first episode, Reply All revealed itself to be more of a podcast about people, not technology.

4.Myths and Legends
                Jason Weiser summarizes different tales, revealing the origin of some classic myths and legends as well as the more obscure. He takes stories that the audience is familiar with (such as the Disney version of Cinderella) and tells their real, often more gruesome, origins. He injects his own humor into the stories and puts his own spin on them to make them appealing to his modern audience.

5.Fictional
                Jason Weiser is also the host of Fictional, a podcast that centers on summarizing great literary works. It’s delivered in the same manner as Myths and Legends—as if someone with a good sense of humor is reading you a story. Included in the podcast are summaries of works such as “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “Dante’s Inferno,” and “Desiree’s Baby.”

6.Lore
                In the same vein as Myths and Legends, Aaron Mahnke’s Lore explores mysteries of the past and the stories developed to explain them. If you find this podcast interesting, Mahnke has also released a book about the different mysterious creatures he has discussed on the podcast. In addition, he created a Lore television series, now streaming on Amazon Prime, with the help of the people behind The Walking Dead and X-Files.

7.Lexicon Valley
                As an editor and grammar stickler, I have a soft spot for this podcast. Lexicon Valley explores language and communication. Unlike prescriptive linguistics, which attempts to enforce the “right” way to use words, this podcast’s descriptive approach simply documents how and why language is being used. There are discussions on topics such as oddities of the English language, the usage of contractions, and communication through graffiti.

8.Imaginary Worlds
                Imaginary Worlds explores people’s ability to suspend their disbelief and become invested in a fictional universe. Eric Molinsky follows those who have created and become lost in fantasy and attempts to discover why it is so captivating. He and his guests treat these worlds and characters as if they were real. He has discussed fan fiction, immersive theater, and the challenging process of creating fictional maps.

9.Hidden Brain
                Hidden Brain is a production of NPR. It examines the human brain and what motivates our actions. For example, a recent episode discusses the effects of hyper-masculinity on the thought process and behavior of men. In this case as well as many others, the problem appears to originate from societal pressure.
​
10.Stuff You Should Know
                This podcast premiered about ten years ago and boasts over a thousand episodes in its library. This How Stuff Works production delves into the widest range of topics of any on this list. If you want to be knowledgeable about a little bit of everything, this is the podcast for you. Their episodes can go from covering snake handling to gene editing to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. Most recently, they have explained how Meals on Wheels works. This podcast is truly unique in that it encompasses a multitude of interests; there is something for everyone. 

Bleeps in Time

By Emily Chance
​
            “I had this realization that we are all connected in some way, but we are also just little bleeps in a giant bleep in time,” Allen said.
            “But, Allen, we are all bleeps in time. You say that you are insignificant and we don’t really matter much because that’s all we are: bleeps. Each of our tiny bleeps seems insignificant alone, yes, but some of those bleeps have major accomplishments, win wars, guide countries. Those bleeps make history, and history is still in the making,” I answer, wondering what he was trying to convey.
            After pausing for a minute to assess my response, he changed his answer to fix his meaning. “But we are each tiny little bleeps in time; tiny little bleeps that are inside of other larger bleeps. We are short bleeps of Earth, and Earth is a small bleep to the galaxy, and the galaxy is a tiny bleep in the universe. What I’m trying to explain is that we are tiny bleeps that make history, yes, but we also are people who need to make the most out of the tiny bleep we have left. We need to stop stressing out and roll with the times and understand that while things may be bad, it’ll all get better, or it won’t…”
            His eyes were full of wonder and excitement, the kind of excitement that came with the feeling of something clicking into place, and for once in my life, I felt like my little bleep held meaning. I realized that Allen meant that our lives may be short, and they may be hard, but we need to make the most out of what little time we have on this earth. We don’t know where we are going after this, but we need to enjoy what we have now without worrying about what the future has to hold.
 
Edited by London Koffler

Tell Someone You Love Them
By Emily Chance
​
I’m nearing the very last days of high school and I have realized that I have absolutely no filter. If someone is rude to me, I will specifically mention to them how I feel about their thoughts. I have been so done with everything since the end of the last semester and I have been trying so hard to get everything finished. Between work, an internship, and graduation, I have been relatively stressed out and have fallen into a slight depression.
I have noticed that everything I try to get done ends up falling apart because I have to shift my focus to another project, another story, another task. It usually results in me running around in a circle and forgetting most of the things I need to do and the rest of it being half finished. I am finally almost done and caught up with everything in my life, but I need to start college, which will also make my life hectic.
Throughout the stress in my life, I have had little to no downtime. I have had almost no time to myself and my schedules always conflict with my friends’ so it is very hard to hang out with them and catch up. I eventually had the nagging thought in my head that nobody really wanted to talk to me or even really liked me that much. Just the other day I wanted to sit down and have a conversation with someone, anyone, really. I called eight people. One person’s phone died, one person who picked up was busy, and the other one was rude. The other five people didn’t answer their phones and never texted me to see if I was okay.
I’ve been struggling with whether people actually cared about me and once a thought enters my mind, it doesn’t like to leave. It takes hold of that spot in my brain and it doesn’t let go until someone says or does something to fix that.
When all these negative thoughts were going through my head, a freshman I had just begun talking to walked up to me and said, “You know how I’m in the same summer program that you are?” I nodded my head in response and she said, “Every time I mention you, they automatically mention how much they love you and think you’re funny and cool. I didn’t know that many people liked you and you were that popular.”
Me, the smooth person I am, just said, “What? They do? I am?”
“Yeah, didn’t you know that?”
“No… Not really.”
“Well, they do,” she said and walked away.
I had no idea people noticed me, let alone liked me there. The point I’m trying to get across is that if you like someone, let them know you like them, as family, friends, or more. Otherwise, they might not have any idea. They could miss out on opportunities they never would have had, friendships that might never have formed. Tell someone you love them today, because I personally know that it sucks not knowing.

Edited by Laurel Copes

Rabbits, produced by the Public Radio Alliance
Reviewed by London Koffler
​
About the Podcast:
            When Carly Parker’s friend, Yumiko, goes missing under very mysterious circumstances, Carly’s search for her friend leads her headfirst into an ancient, mysterious game known only as “Rabbits.” Soon, Carly begins to suspect that Rabbits is much more than just a game, and that the key to understanding Rabbits might be the key to the survival of our species, and the Universe, as we know it.  

My Review: 4/5

            Rabbits is a difficult podcast to review without spoiling any details, so I will remain vague. Through many plot twists and turns, each episode of this docudrama series raises new questions and reveals new information. Carly Parker is a determined, fearless host, unwaveringly searching for the truth and her missing friend. We see her development and discover more personal details about her throughout the series. She and the other voice actors put on a compelling performance that encourages listeners to completely immerse themselves in the production. As Samuel Taylor Coleridge said, an audience may suspend its disbelief concerning the validity of a fictional story as long as the creator injects some truth and humanity into the work. Although its premise is imaginative, Rabbits manages to convince the audience the game is real. When I first started listening, I will admit I had to conduct some internet research to assure myself that it is, indeed, fictional. In my opinion, detailed and vivid imagery in conjunction with realistic and convincing characters allows Rabbits to attain the goal of the Public Radio Alliance—to create “television for your ears.”

            I gave Rabbits a four out of five rating only because of the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the podcast, but without going into too much detail, the end felt abrupt and unsatisfying. I would not recommend this podcast to a young audience because of some explicit language and intense situations. I would, however, highly recommend it to fans of mystery and suspense. If this appeals to you, I would also encourage you to listen to other docudramas produced by the Public Radio Alliance, such as Tanis and The Last Movie. All of these may be found on Spotify, the iPhone podcast app, or from the Public Radio Alliance’s website.
 
http://www.publicradioalliance.com/listen/
 
Edited by Emily Chance