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Welcome to the October edition of Kudzu Monthly, a noncommercial literary ezine that celebrates southern culture and good writing - wherever it's found. We've included some stories and articles from the September issue that you might have missed because they were posted late. Remember to use your back button on your browser to return to this page. And please remember that our writers, both aspiring and accomplished, contribute their work for you, so if you like what you read, leave a supportive comment for the author.
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The Very Curve of the Earth Farrah Tate is sleeping with her Ph.D. advisor, and if that's not bad enough, she thinks she's fallen madly in with him, even though men can be so exasperating. This story continues with the characters introduced in Anders' Contrition and The Cheshire Smile.
The Cochran Resolve Silas Tully is a cop closing in his retirement, but one particular case still gnaws at him. Even though police chief Noel Rebenkern tells Silas he's nuts, Silas decides to throw himself and all of his hard-learned skills on a case nearing the half-century mark that has never been solved.
The War Wagon Horatio B. Zane is a man out to make a name for himself in Civil War photography. Disdainfully dismissing rivals Brady and Gardner for entering the battlefield the next day, after the battle is over, Zane wants to to capture images of "a fresh kill." However, youthful assistant George McKenna is pretty sure that's not a good idea.
Safe House New to Kudzu Monthly, Dan Smith is a successful playwright in Connecticut. This story is about what happens when school teacher Chris Rhodes decides to reach out to a friend and coworker that he thinks is being abused by her boyfriend.
Oh, the Wounds He Wore, This story is about a humble, gentle fellow who generally doesn't say much and a loud, boisterous type of fellow who always says too much. As is often the case in Tom's stories, it's about valor unrecognized and sacrifice unredeemed. When these are brought together and resolved, we have a ripping good read, and a very special kind of story that only Tom Sheehan could write. Enjoy.
* Denotes late September posting. Please use your back
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October Best of Kudzu Selection Angels Angel submitted willingly to the curse that extends his life, but that doesn't make actually living any sweeter. Seeking a peace that has thus far eluded him, his unconventional solution is to become a... statue.
The Grass
Fort * For many of us, there's a certain time in our youth that we look back on as a period of major change. The phases of our life as we struggle for maturity may change like the onslaught of a summer thunder storm, or they may pass quietly, unnoticeably like the seasons until one day we look back and realize that just yesterday was summer. These are the stories of our coming of age, and it's the rare writer who can capture these half-forgotten, yearned for memories. Pennsylvania author and writing teacher Charles Lanigan has captured and preserved this anxious time for us in this, his "Grass Fort." Please read it and see if you agree. Secret Hunt
Texan Loren Moore has a supply of entertaining
articles that he has been writing for his friends and family, and he's
given us access to them all. Like his wife, Johnnie, we're never really
sure if his stories are 99% real or 99% fiction, but they are as enjoyable
a story as ever was penned by a natural-born storyteller. Enjoy.
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Leeches The subtitle of this article is "Epic Bloodsuckers or Minature Mavens?" and Lisa has surprised us again. You'd think we'd be used to it by now, after flatulence, cyclic edema, and how beer saved mankind... but she's very good at coming up with new topics. Okay, let's learn about leeches. Enjoy! How the Inquisition Made Witches We asked British author and poet Cecile Hare to create a nonfiction article for us suitable for the October issue some months ago. She's come through with an interesting and informative article on witches. Here's how it starts, "When you open the door on Halloween and see a little witch there, asking for trick or treat, please give her a treat on behalf of all the wretched people who were tortured and burnt at the stake in years gone by."
Harley Honeymoon * Gloria Froebel is not a professional writer, but that doesn't mean that she can't tell an excellent, articulate story from her own experience. Charmingly, this is the story of her 1953 honeymoon with a handsome red-headed sailor. Other than love, all they had between them (and under them) was Howard's prized Harley.
The Inmates Are Running the Asylum * Tina Blue is a an English teacher at Kansas University who writes ably about a variety of topics. Here in Kudzu she writes about what she knows best - our educational system. Something is very, very wrong with education in America, and the schools are not the problem. Is it too late for America's youth? Read Tina's article to get an expert opinion from a professional, experienced educator.
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