by Travis Switalski, Sr. The Names of Rivers by Daniel Buckman, his second in a cycle of four novels, begins and ends a dark, heartbreaking tale of the multi-generational dysfunction between fathers and sons who have both survived the major wars of the American Century. The patriarch of the Polish-American family, Bruno Konick, once soldiered…
by Travis Switalski, Sr. “The desert is not what we thought it would be—it’s colder, grayer, indifferent as a corpse. Everything is ravaged. There’s a thin film of dust that covers this entire city, but it’s more like ash than sand. Even the palm trees are muted and dull. Buildings that have been blown into…
When a college professor asks ‘Jackson’ a sensitive question, the young Iraq War veteran and the protagonist in Chris Clow’s “Straw Dogs” is tempted to give an answer that “stick[s] to the concept, the soft, harmless thing that can’t possibly hurt anyone.” But the story itself does nothing of the sort. Instead, Clow delves into…
The beginning of a new year is ripe for reflecting on days past. In the past year, contributors and supporters of Military Experience and the Arts have accomplished many feats for bridging the military – civilian divide through arts and education. One very noteworthy event is the award poetry contributor, Patricia Stotter received this past…