FICTION

 "Of the different coughs," thinks a character in  Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's story, "these were the most sympathetic. They were the kindest, most gentle reminder that I might die, and so I gave them a gentle name. Lilith."


In which one of Allie Marini Batts' characters says, "She said she didn’t raise you to be materialistic, but I think she’s just…well, you know."

Almira learns to be a good girl in Natasa Miljkovic's translation from the Serbian of Bojan Babic's award-winning collection of short stories.

Marc Cohen explores the mythos of luck.  

Marsha Roberts' characters attempt to close the gap between our own and other, distant, worlds.

CREATIVE NONFICTION

Shawn Rubenfeld leaves us wondering where we should shove our disclaimers.  (Hint: WWPD?)

A story by Matthew Dexter in which a character acquiesces that, "this might not have been the wisest decision."  Come for the gripping prose, and then come back for the Spanish lesson.

Jevin Lee Albuquerque navigates local politics and age-old professions.

Mrs. Joyce Hampton considers the possibilities of a shaky future.

MULTIMEDIA

Daniella Batsheva explores the darker side of femininity.

Ira Joel Haber takes us to Coney Island.

Susan Wicker attempts to change the way we look at imagery.

Iggy Beerbower gives us a little respite from winter with her images from the Big Island of Hawaii.

The austerity and sometimes bleakness of nature is photographed by Vince Darcangelo.

POETRY

In which Derek Graf completes Wallace Stevens's thought with "and I can’t imagine a more perfect place in which to die."
 
Whereupon Tracie Morell casts her eye on industry. Industry will not be pleased.

Kate Benchoff's latest poem begins, "The moon is only dust:  ribs and apples, but no betrayal," and then she sinks her hands into the moon and pulls it to earth.

Georgann Prochaska manages to conjure every Apple but the ones that start at $99 with contract.

Is the mythical creature in Daniel Aristi's glass really there?  Or is she a figment of our collective creative unconscious?

Namkyu Oh attempts to answer an age-old question.

You are presently reading the January issue of Gravel. 

It was written by the names you see to the left of this little wall of text, and edited by graduate students of the MFA program in creative writing at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Some things to note about this issue: There is a thundering mechanical force at work in Tracie Morell's poetry. Meanwhile, the severity of Vince Darcangelo's photography and the prose of Allie Marini Batts pair like Italian cuisine and Grüner Veltliner, as. if that's an actual drink. We feel more than lucky to be featuring the first English translation of award-winning Sebian author Bojan Babic. And don't forget that you read Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah at gravel, first.   Daniella Batsheva's original artwork shouldn't be missed.  That photograph at the top of this page was taken by Vince Darcangelo.

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