Better Than Starbucks
Poetry and Fiction Journal
. . . if you love diversity and creative writing in any and every form, then you’re in the right place . . .
November 2022
Vol VII No IV
Published quarterly:
February, May, August,
and November.
Nominations
Our nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2022:
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​Free Verse: Rapture Reprise by Stephen Spencer Vol VII No II May 2022
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Formal Poetry: Cartier Bresson photograph on Pont des Arts by Ian Enters Vol VII No I February 2022
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International Poetry: Elemental Ugliness by Debasis Tripathy Vol VII No III August 2022
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​Poetry Translations: The Knife-Grinder by Juana de Ibarbourou translated by Catherine Chandler Vol VII No III August 2022
​Fiction: Precious Life by Ann Anderson Evans Vol VII No IV November 2022
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Creative Nonfiction: Heartache in the Groves of Academe: The Two Bodies Problem by David Blumenfeld Vol VII No I February 2022
Our Nominations for Best of the Net 2023:
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​Poetry:
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Free Verse: * by Simon Perchik (1923-2022) in August 2021 Vol VI No III
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Formal Poetry: I’m Only Here Because You Called Me by Connie Carmichael in November 2021 Vol VI No IV
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Experimental Poetry: Cleansing by John Riley in February 2022 Vol VII No I
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International Poetry: Ovid’s Memory by Sekhar Banerjee in August 2021 Vol VI No III
African Poetry: Prisoner of Circumstances by Ndiritu Mwangi in February 2022 Vol VII No I
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Poetry Translations: And the Head Burst into Flames by Alfonsina Storni translated by Brittany Hause in February 2020 Vol VII No I
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Fiction:
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Storm by Christopher Hadin in November 2021 Vol VI No IV
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Monster by Kirstin Ault in February 2022 Vol VII No I
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Creative Non-Fiction:
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Go Go Go Said the Bird by Judith Ford in November 2021 Vol VI No IV
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Our Nominations for Best New Poets 2022:
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Sean Joseph Pino for Static May 2021 Vol VI No II
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Ndiritu Mwangi for The Truth is a Jar of Snakes November 2021 Vol VI No IV
Our nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2021:
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​Free Verse: Out to Kill Rabbits by Jack Henry Vol VI No I February 2021
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Formal Poetry: The Last Warm Saturday by Jane Greer Vol VI No II May 2021
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International Poetry: Ovid's Memory by Sekhar Banerjee Vol VI No III August 2021
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African Poetry: The Truth is a Jar of Snakes by Ndiritu Mwangi Vol V No IV November 2021
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Poetry Translations: You’d Have Me Be White by Alfonsina Storni translated by Brittany Hause Vol VI No III August 2021
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​Fiction: Waiting for the Noun by Paul GarcÃa Vol VI No III August 2021​​
Our Nominations for Best of the Net 2022:
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​Poetry:
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Free Verse: They Said He Was Grouchy At The End by Michael Van Dyke in May 2021 Vol VI No II
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Formal Poetry: Forms and Forming by Richard Wakefield in February 2021 Vol VI No I
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Experimental Poetry: before / after the breakup by Mary McCormack in September 2020 Vol V No V
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International Poetry: A Stranger and Plath by Shifali Gulati in February 2021 Vol VI No I
African Poetry: Sahara’s Silent Tears by Lind Grant-Oyeye in September 2020 Vol V No V
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Poetry Translations: Marching to Sinopi by Constantin Cavafy translated by Julia Griffin in September 2020 Vol V No V
Fiction:
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Old Flame by Lori Dantuma in July 2020 Vol V No IV
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Jupiter by Marina Rubin in September 2020 Vol V No V
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Creative Non-Fiction:
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The Desert Air by Pamela Cottam in February 2021 Vol VI No I
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Mañana by Maureen McVeigh in May 2021 Vol VI No II
Our Nominations for Best New Poets 2021:
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Mary Durocher for Little Ghosts May 2020 Vol V No III
Banqobile Virginia Dakamela for Ebony Black July 2020 Vol V No IV
Our nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2020:
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​Free Verse: Fairy by John Bowden July 2020 Vol V No IV
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Formal Poetry: Love and Multiple Sclerosis by Tara Campbell January 2020 Vol V No I
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African Poetry: Great Divide by Aideloje Joshua January 2020 Vol V No I
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Poetry Translations: The Wind Now Pulls His Trousers Up by Christian Johann Heinrich Heine translated by
Peter Moltoni January 2020 Vol V No I
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​Fiction: The Last Time I Saw My Father by Andrea Marcusa January 2020 Vol V No I
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Creative Non-Fiction: Initiation by Yongsoo Park July 2020 Vol V No IV
Our Nominations for Best of the Net 2021:
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​Poetry:
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The Way the Lights Hit Bodega Alley by Puma Perl in March 2020 Vol V No II
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Landscape of Remembrance by Tobi Alfier in May 2020 Vol V No III
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The Last Speaker of Akkala Sami by Gail White in March 2020 Vol V No II
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Terminus by Jared Carter in May 2020 Vol V No III
sea:shore by Evan Guilford-Blake in November 2019 Vol IV No VI
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White Girl, black boy by Tendai Rinos Mwanaka in November 2019 Vol IV No VI
Fiction:
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The Pietà of Saint Blaise by Kevin P. Keating in March 2020 Vol V No II
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Carrion by Craig Dobson in May 2020 Vol V No III
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Creative Non-Fiction:
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Prayer Circles by Terry Barr in September 2019 Vol IV No V
Hardened by Alexandra Persad in May 2020 Vol V No III
Our Nominations for Best New Poets 2020:
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Sean Corbitt for Extinction January 2020 Vol V No I
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Emily Tsai for Lady Peony March 2020 Vol V No II
Our Nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2019:
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​​Poetry:
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Free Verse:
Boo Radley Will No Longer Protect Us by John Dorsey in September 2019 Vol IV No V
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Formal Poetry:
Nothing to Fear by Richard Wakefield July 2019 Vol IV No IV
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Experimental Poetry:
The History of Being Sche by Joan Retallack September 2019 Vol IV No V
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Poetry Translations:
ECCCH! by Jerome Betts March 2019 Vol IV No II
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​Fiction:
Goderich by Austin Gilmour July 2019 Vol IV No IV
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Creative Non-Fiction:
Solace by Evan Guilford-Blake May 2019 Vol IV No III
Our nominations for Best of the Net 2020:
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​Poetry:
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Guts and Poison by Steve Denehan May 2019 Vol IV No III
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Even As We Seize the Day by Anton Yakovlev November 2018 Vol III No IV
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Regime Change by Rae Armantrout November 2018 Vol III No IV
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Croix de Guerre by Jack D. Harvey May 2019 Vol IV No III
The Other Woman by Susan McLean January 2019 Vol IV No I
Papa by Al-Qassim Abdulsalam Uthman January 2019 Vol IV No I
Fiction:
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The Neighbors by Ursula Abdala November 2018 Vol III No IV
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The Doors of the Ambulance Closed by Josh Greenfield May 2019 Vol IV No III
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Creative Non-Fiction:
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The Hoover Boys Part III by Larry D. Giles September 2018 Vol III No V
A Slice of Ruby by Tobi Alfier November 2018 Vol III No VI
Our Nominations for Best New Poet 2019:
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Laura Hampton for My Mother's Back May 2018 Vol III No V
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Steve Denehan for In The Cutlery Drawer June 2018 Vol III No VI
Our nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2018:
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​Poetry:
Benadryl and Whiskey by John David Muth in January 2018 Vol III No I
My Mother's Back by Laura Hampton in May 2018 Vol III No V
Feet by Rhina P. Espaillat in May 2018 Vol III No V
Undivided by Richard R. Wakefield in April 2018 Vol III No IV
WALLETS AND WALLOWINGS by Pamelyn Casto in July 2018 Vol III No VII
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​Fiction:
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The Recipe Called For Vinegar by Charles Rafferty in May 2018 Vol III No V
Our Nominations for Best of the Net 2019:
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​Poetry:
Dancing in the Kitchen by Jill Sharon Kimmelman in October 2017 Vol II No X
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Compton 8 Mile by Tobi Alfier November 2017 Vol II No XI
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The Shearing (for Rob Wilmot) by Harry Owen in December 2017 Vol II No XII
Birth Control, 1975 by Janet Smith in December 2017 Vol II No XII
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New Orleans: the Degas House by Jared Carter in February 2018 Vol III No II
The Long Embrace by John Beaton in February 2018 Vol III No II
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Fiction:
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I Know I am Restless and Make Others So by Chuck Von Nordheim in March 2018 Vol III No III
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Winged Victory of Samothrace by Martin Porter in May 2018 Vol III No V
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Creative Non-Fiction:
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The Hoover Boys Part I by Larry D. Giles in April 2018 Vol III No IV
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Four Vignettes by Brian Michael Barbeito in May 2018 Vol III No V
Our Nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2017:
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​Poetry:
Stories of My Father’s Absence by Cynthia Grady in February 2017 Vol II No II
Dancing in the Kitchen by Jill Sharon Kimmelman in October 2017 Vol II No X
Polaroid of a Lady by Richard R. Wakefield in April 2017 Formal & Rhyming Poetry Vol II No V
Giraffe by Nikolai Gumilev translated by Don Mager in July 2017 Poetry Translations Vol II No VII
Reed on the Rivers by Ayo Oyeku in August 2017 International Poetry Vol II No VII
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​Fiction:
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Public Service by Mark Connelly in September 2017 Fiction Vol II No IX
Our Nominations for Best of the Net 2018:
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​Poetry:
Grease Poet by Richard King Perkins II in November 2016 Vol I No V
The Swimming Pool by Tabitha Vohn in December 2016 Vol I No VI
I'll Wait by DE Navarro in January 2017 Vol II No I
Falling for the Invisible Woman by Jim Zola in March 2017 Vol II No III
Walk by Stephen Mead in June 2017 Vol II No VI
Killing a Coho by John Beaton in June 2017 Vol II No VI
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Fiction:
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The Garters by Michael D. Durkota in December 2016 Vol I No VI
Venus in all Four Corners by Tobi Alfier in March 2017 Vol II No III
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Vinyl by ​Jace Grandinetti on Unsplash