On "Ball Lightning" by Karen Heuler (2045 words) ***

What is the nature of loneliness and how does one know when another feels it? Heuler in this story seems to suggest that only in growing old and experiencing the same sensations do we really know what others feel. Well, at least that's what I took from it. On the surface, this is a story of a man transformed by lightning--you know, those bolts from the sky that can hit you, maim you, and change your life. Read the story here at Oxford Magazine.

On "The New Thieves" by Thaisa Frank (384 words) ****

Looking to make your marriage a little more than it was? Are you tired of the mundane and everyday, of plain-vanilla sex? Frank has some advice for you, what works and doesn't work, the experiments that go into reinvigorating one's love life with the one you've chosen. It's all about fantasy, of course, but the right one. Read the story here at Oxford Magazine.