The Runner by Curtis Smith art by Tara Chickey Before the accident, he was a runner, a state champion in high school, a conference medalist in his freshman year. On a humid Virginia night, he smashed his motorcycle into the statue of a Civil War hero. He ran again, but never like before, never again like that. His girlfriend was a dancer. In their apartment, he asked her to dance for him. When she moved, he desired nothing, his soul at rest. Watching her, he recalled how the track glided beneath his feet and the ecstasy of release when he hit the final straightaway. And he remembered the moment before he crashed and the night’s thick scent of peach blossoms. All content in SmokeLong Quarterly copyright 2003-2012 by its authors.
	Curtis Smith is the author of two novels (Sound and Noise and An Unadorned Life), a story collection (The Species Crown), and two collections of short-short stories (In the Jukebox Light and Placing Ourselves Among the Living). The coming year will see the release of his next story collection (Bad Monkey, Press 53), novel (Truth or Something Like It, Casperian Books), and his first essay collection (The Agnostic's Prayer, Sunnyoutside Press). His stories and essays have appeared in over fifty literary journals and have been cited by The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Mystery Stories, and The Best American Spiritual Writing. Read the interview. Tara Chickey's art can be found online at www.tarachickey.com.
	Issue Twenty-Seven (December 20, 2009): Four Disconnected Truths About My Father by James Tadd Adcox «» I Am Born by Grant Bailie «» Americano Mens by Martin Cloutier «» On Becoming a Bird by Emily Darrell «» Vacation by Peter DeMarco «» Imagines He's a Bear by Ryan Dilbert «» Heavenward by S. H. Gall «» Bowling for Dollars by Amie Hartman «» When the Cicadas Come by Tara Laskowski «» Love and Destruction in a '67 El Dorado by David Lindsay «» To the Women in Line at the Walgreens Pharmacy by Sean Lovelace «» Greenback Fly by Dennis Mahagin «» Arecibo by Andrew McIntosh «» My Friend by Gary Moshimer «» Elstor by Jefferson Navicky «» Winter by Alec Niedenthal «» Fork by Glen Pourciau «» Stalling by Andrew Roe «» The Runner by Curtis Smith «» Unicorns by Scott Stealey «» Orbit by Brandi Wells «» Interviews: Grant Bailie «» Martin Cloutier «» Emily Darrell «» Peter DeMarco «» Ryan Dilbert «» S. H. Gall «» Amie Hartman «» Tara Laskowski «» Sean Lovelace «» Dennis Mahagin «» Andrew McIntosh «» Gary Moshimer «» Jefferson Navicky «» Alec Niedenthal «» Glen Pourciau «» Andrew Roe «» Curtis Smith «» Scott Stealey «» Brandi Wells «» Cover Art "View From the Lincoln Bedroom" by Marty D. Ison