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SmokeLong Quarterly

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A Trip to the Grocer’s

Story by Beverly Jackson (Read author interview) September 15, 2003

In the produce bin, among discarded corn shucks and carrot tops, but discernible in a transparent plastic bag, a severed human hand lay with its curled fingers extended toward her, begging. She stared.

“Like I needed this, right?” she said.

Tossing a head of broccoli in her cart, she glanced over her shoulder, steering toward the meat counter. She waved a small goodbye. It was an omen, she reckoned.

About the Author

Beverly Jackson, poet/writer, is also the Editor of Literary Potpourri and Publisher of Lit Pot Press, Inc. Her work can be found in Melic Review, Pindeldyboz, Outsider Ink, Zoetrope All Story Extra, Rattle, and Night Train, to name a few. Her journal can be found at http://literarypotpourri.com.

This story appeared in Issue One of SmokeLong Quarterly.
SmokeLong Quarterly Issue One
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A SmokeLong Summer 26!

A SmokeLong Summer 26 is closer than you think. This year we’re starting early and staying late. The summer just got longer.

As always, at the heart of A SmokeLong Summer is our peer-review workshop in small groups of around 15 writers, drafting to 3 writing tasks each week. Our peer-review workshop is all in writing, so you can participate from anywhere, anytime. This summer our writing tasks will be generative and thematically leaning towards community. Our theme this year: “The Global Flash Village”. Writing doesn’t have a be a game of Solitaire; it can be a team sport.

Our participants often say their writing has dramatically increased in community. A SmokeLong Summer 26 will take you around the world, introducing you to writers from every corner of our beautiful planet.