On "Other Woods" by Nichole Lefebvre (1266 words) ****

A tiny bit of childhood is recounted here, how the warnings of adults take on the height of terror. The kids are not to go into the woods. There are gangs in them. They go anyway, but one of them goes farther than any of them have ever gone before. What will become of her is anyone's guess. Read the story here at the L Magazine.

On "The Relapse" by Leslie Jamison (7750 words) ***

This story reminds me a bit of Glatt's novel A Girl Becomes a Comma like That. I suppose it's the abortion and the rather careless life that the main character leads that ties the two works together for me in my head. Here, however, the focus is almost completely on the main character's drinking and on the pregnancy that that leads to, which should be rather obvious given the title. What I like about this piece is how Jamison starts it, with something shocking that makes us want to learn more--like, why would anyone do this to themselves or to someone they know? But that shock isn't the only one that will come. This piece is full of great first lines for a story--because it's got some really interesting family dynamics going on. And like most stories we think of as good, this piece suggests some kind of transformation is under way. Read the story here at L Magazine.

On "The Rugby Witch" by Benjamin Nugent (2691 words) ***

Benjamin Nugent's "Rugby Witch" is part fantasy and part horror, and in that sense it resembles the best sort of campfire story one hears as a kid. The main character Yuri wants to be better at rugby and at picking up girls, and the key to success lies with a witch that the best senior rugby player knows all about. Really, what he wants is courage, but courage comes at a cost. Right--you already know--not a good idea to get mixed up with a witch. Read the story here at L Magazine, and then set aside a few minutes next time you go camping to regale others with the tale.