Nonfiction by Debra Davis Hinkle Mom is blessed with four daughters. Some women in our church don’t have any children. So, Mom loans out her two older kids for the annual mother-daughter luncheon I am the third child, and Mom doesn’t loan me or my little sister out. I hate these functions because the food … Read More
Melissa
Nonfiction by Heather Campbell I was afraid to speak to you at the start. You were a writer, I was not. You were accomplished, I was not. People tend to lay down different aspects of themselves, depending on who they are with, but you were always beautifully you. You were kind and thoughtful, and you … Read More
Ninety Miles from Normal
Nonfiction by Christina Dillow Forty-five minutes had passed when the compact helicopter crossed over the county line intersecting the Las Padres National Forest with the sea. Vaguely aware of my circumstances, I lay swaddled in a thick medic bag, unable to move. Beeping gauges and gurgling IV bags dangled above me in a symphony of … Read More
The Stoic Parent
Nonfiction by T.K. Schuberth “The Stoic Parent” received an Honorable Mention in the 2024 Golden Quill Writing Contest. Early on in the [Covid] crisis, I picked up Marcus Aurelius and for the first time in my life read his Meditations not as an academic exercise, nor in pursuit of pleasure, but with the same attitude … Read More
My Wrinkled Brain
Nonfiction by Rusty Evans “My Wrinkled Brain” was the second-place winner in nonfiction in the 2024 Golden Quill Writing Contest. Lately, I’ve had this suspicion my brain is wearing out. I’m not angry about it. I’m pretty sure I anticipated it. I don’t have any memories of thinking about it much up until now. Maybe … Read More
My Favorite Animal Is a Harbor Seal
Nonfiction by Michele L. Roest “My Favorite Animal Is a Harbor Seal” was the first-place winner in nonfiction in the 2024 Golden Quill Writing Contest. When I was a kid growing up in the 1970s, my father, a vertebrate zoologist, taught at the nearby college. On Saturday mornings, I’d go to campus with him, sock-skating … Read More

“The Avalanche and the Whale” by Kenneth D. Reimer
Two of my favorite photographs do not exist, and they never have. This is not so much a paradox as it is a statement of philosophy. Occasionally in my travels, there have been moments that have transpired so quickly it was impossible to experience them as a participant and also capture them in a photograph. … Read More

“A Child’s Recipe for Comfort” by Angela Kasumova
Baked Potato Description: The perfect side to any meal; the best medicine when recovering from an illness. Preparation: Board Daddy’s car— a Chevy Blazer or wood-paneled station wagon depending on the day— drive to a restaurant, enjoy this rare time as a family of four. Number of Servings: 1 Ingredients: 1 baked potato Butter* Fatherly … Read More

“Exploring an Ancient Ocean in Northern California” by Jim Livingston
In the spring of 1975, I drove to the Bald Hills, on the west side of the Upper Sacramento Valley, east of Redding, California. The area was aptly named, as few trees grew amid the golden grass-covered rolling hills and dry arroyos. It was here that I hoped to find evidence of an ancient ocean. … Read More