John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Poet Patrice Jones blends real-life experience and imagination to craft her powerful, non-traditional verse in Gravy, a deeply personal and provocative collection. Most of these pieces are free verse and narrative, touching on classic poetic themes: the struggle for meaningful love, the loss of innocence, familial nostalgia, and childhood longing. However, Jones isn’t afraid to delve into darker issues, such as suicide and abusive relationships, boldly exploring what was once taboo. The work is quite literal, with a fair lack of poetic description, but there is great intention behind the words. Overall, Gravy is an eclectic mix of pain […]

Joey Rodriguez unravels an emotional, quirky ,and cleverly penned tale in JQR, a post-apocalyptic road novel with a bionic twist. Jojo and Pickles make a very strange pair, but this android and his dog must navigate a world ravaged by human folly in an attempt to find whatever meaning is left. The relationship between these two is crafted with grace and an original voice – one that balances dense, engaging writing with dark humor and charm. Both an off-kilter adventure and an existential exploration of what it means to love, dream, and be human, this novel is visceral and […]