Defenestrationism.net

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Bobby Harrell is a public librarian who lives in South Central Kentucky. With over a decade of library experience, Bobby tries to inject into his writing the familiar and the strange living side-by-side. Bobby’s been a lifelong writer and reader, creating worlds and characters to populate them for as long as he can remember. 

Lucy Zhang writes, codes, and watches anime. Her work has appeared in Hayden’s Ferry Review, Fireside Magazine, Wigleaf, and elsewhere. She is the author of the chapbooks HOLLOWED (Thirty West Publishing, 2022) and ABSORPTION (Harbor Review, 2022). Find her at https://kowaretasekai.wordpress.com/ or on Twitter @Dango_Ramen.

Gregory Nooney earned a master’s degree in social work (MSW) from Loyola University in Chicago in 1983, has worked as a mental health therapist for over 35 years, and has conducted numerous workshops on various topics. My book Diagnosing and Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Guide for Social Workers and All Frontline Staff has been published by NASW Press. He is passionate about reducing the stigma of those with early childhood trauma, especially those with dissociative disorders. He is currently working on a novel about a man with a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder.

Robert Bagnall was born in a doubly-landlocked English county when the Royal Navy still issued a rum ration, but now lives by the sea. He is the author of the science fiction thriller ‘2084 – The Meschera Bandwidth’ and over fifty published short stories, twenty-four of which are collected in the anthology ‘24 0s & a 2’. Both are available on Amazon. Three of his stories have also appeared in NewCon Press’ annual ‘Best of British Science Fiction’ anthologies. He blogs at meschera.blogspot.com and can be contacted there.

Ginger Dehlinger waited until she retired to begin writing “for the love of words, not money.” She writes in multiple genres and topics, whatever interests her at the time. She has self-published two novels (Brute Heart, set in Oregon, Never Done, inColorado) and one middle-grade children’s book (The Goose Girl’s New Ribbon).Her poetry has appeared in over a dozen journals and anthologies.

Ginger has won or placed in several writing competitions, including best nature essay in the 2011 Nature of Words contest for Pacific Northwest writers and first runner-up in The Saturday Evening Post’s 2022 Great American Fiction Contest. You can find her in Bend, Oregon or at 
gdehlinger.blogspot.com

Brad Kelechava is a professional blogger whose writing you might come across while searching for topics spanning renewable energy to the history of rats. His short fiction appears in Tales to Terrify, HyphenPunk, Utopia Science Fiction, and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their cat.

Steve Loiaconi is a journalist and a graduate of George Mason University’s MFA program. His fiction previously appeared in Griffel, True Chili, the Good Life Review, East by Northeast, River River, and the New Plains Review. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and son.

Ross West has placed fiction, essays, journalism, and poetry in publications from Orion to the Journal of Recreational Linguistics to Defenestrationism.net, where his story “The Omelet Maker” was a finalist in the 2020 !Short Story Contest! His work has been anthologized in Best Essays Northwest, Best of Dark Horse Presents and elsewhere. He edited Inquiry, the University of Oregon’s research magazine, was senior managing editor at Oregon Quarterly, and served as text editor for the Atlas of Oregon and Atlas of Yellowstone.  

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an excerpt from “Because of My Guardian Angels”
by Francesca Alicea

Raising a critical thinker was quite a challenge. He always needed an explanation for everything required of him. Even today he questions my advice. But, I’m glad he at least takes the time to seek it.

I should have known I was in for a rough one when his independent play involved a mathematical game he enjoyed as a little tyke.

He would start with 1 +1 is 2, 2 +2 is 4, 4 +4 is 8 and so on. I can’t remember exactly how high of a number his little game reached before he stopped. But I do remember I stopped doing the mental math before he did.

He grew up to be a modest man of few words. But the few words he speaks will stop you, and he’ll surely have your attention.

Yet you’ll never hear him boast of his accomplishments. But this proud mom not only has the memories, but the trophies, medals and certificates to remind him of them for whenever he’s in doubt.

Like being the youngest Chess Champion of his Elementary School.  He was only six when he earned this title, which qualified him to compete in the State Competition.

The state competition was tough, and he had a choice to resign after losing his queen. But instead, he continued with a vengeance and conquered the rude opponent who had smacked his queen off the board.

He won the match and moved on to the next round. That year he placed in the top three in his division in the State.

You’ll never hear from him that he met and received guidance and advice from some amazing Chess Masters. Or that he received State recognition for his performance when he took the SATs in 5^th grade. 

I’m also positive that he does not even remember that he received The Paul Robeson Recognition Award for Academic Achievement in High School.

So, to my youngest, the humble, critical thinker and numbers guy, I’d like to say, don’t ever forget the many accomplishments that you may deem as small for they created the man, you are today.

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by Chantelle Tibbs

I don’t believe in “love at first sight,” but I do believe in “high at first sight.” I don’t believe that women get attached faster, I think we get high faster. And I think there is a way to date in the world that does not run our hearts through the ringer. How do we as women make the way we are wired work for us, and not against us, in an ever-changing dating climate more geared toward men coming out ahead? Out a head. Get it?

But enough of my childish quotes and lofty claims, let’s talk about the Bible. In 2020 my father died suddenly. We aren’t sure how exactly, but it was January 23rd of 2020 in Los Angeles, California. He had a mysterious virus and died of underlying conditions. Less than two months later, we were under a “two week” quarantine for COVID 19. I’ll let you connect the dots or not. I was feeling lost and decided to hang out with a neighbor who posed as a possible new friend offering their condolences. I made the mistake of driving this neighbor to and from where we planned to go. It turns out he was a foaming at the mouth Christian (not the real kind, the victim of politicized religion kind). He was so rabid, he would have punched Jesus in the face for disagreeing with him. The car ride lasted for what seemed hours, as his head turned 360 degrees on his shoulders, and he spouted off every scripture he had ever memorized. 

Ironically, one line of a scripture stuck with me though. So much so that I asked him to repeat it three times. I don’t remember the whole scripture, but I remember the part I asked him to repeat. 

“Guard your heart with vigilance.” 

I live by this code. I’m not saying close your heart. I’m not saying to hurt and use others and pretend it’s self-preservation. I am not into being savage or trying to hurt anyone, for that matter. But I do believe in treating our hearts like treasures and guarding them with vigilance. And I do believe that as resilient as we are as humans, the human heart can only take enough. 

But what if you – a fun loving woman in this world – just want to have some fun and hook up a little? Great. I recommend using protection, making sure you really want to do it and that you’re not being persuaded. And if you are resistant to sex in general, I recommend making sure again, you are not being persuaded. But let’s walk into this battlefield armed with facts. Recent studies done on One Night Stands (dailymail.co.uk) show that only 40% of women will have an orgasm during a one night stand whereas a man will reach an orgasm 80% of the time. And, yes, as a queer woman I can say that this pocket guide still applies. Our chances of having an orgasm are higher, though, if that helps soften the blow – because the percentages change for lesbians. It jumps to over a 60% chance of reaching an orgasm. But if you’re still looking for some 40% fun, or for that percentage to rise ever so slightly after a few encounters, I can’t say I blame you. 

This “high at first site” has much to do with oxytocin – a hormone from the pituitary gland, often called “the love hormone.” But remember, oxytocin is not your friend. Most women mistake an oxytocin rush for what they believe to be true love feelings. A lot of research has been done on this. One of my favorite takes on what has come up, is that in general women don’t need men in the way men need women so nature has to trick us into attaching ourselves to a man long enough in order for a child to be conceived. Whatever the reason, the oxytocin rush of meeting someone new for a woman, is a high like no other. And that high may have us crying for days, keying cars, confessing our love from mountain tops. 

So what goes about bringing on that high and what can be done about it? The answer is simple. Smell. Human beings are capable of sniffing-out certain parts of our potential partners’ DNA that make up their immune system, called major histocompatibility genes, to determine whom we’re compatible with.

We are often drawn to people whose MHC compositions are different from our own so that the immune system of our offspring covers as many diseases as possible. The reaction to this scent causes an oxytocin rush that has you believing you are attached to the person you are smelling. But it’s not them. It’s their scent. 

So here’s what I wish someone told me when I was eighteen. To guard your heart with vigilance, I recommend you try to avoid situations where you smell new lovers often, like cuddling too much or sleeping over. Take a shower immediately after any sexual encounter. You can also go to the gym after seeing a person you are intimate with so your body isn’t sure where the oxytocin came from, the workout or the hookup. 

Another option is to take herbs such as wood betony to help with any withdrawals you may feel when you separate from a lover. Wood betony is an herb used to treat withdrawals in folks recovering from drug addiction. 

The truth is, it takes a lot more than sniffing out what will keep our offspring’s immune systems popping. Armed with the right kind of tools we can set our dating life up so we get to take time to get to know someone. We can find out if they are kind or if we really even want to see them again. We can discover what their love language is. We can figure out if we ever even want offspring. Or we can choose to pick our partner with the very heart we intend to protect.

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The First Concept Albums:
Gustav Holst, Woody Guthrie, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis

What are the first concept albums? And what is a concept album, anyway?… read more

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by Paul-Newell Reaves

Highway 61, Revisited

In 1965 when Bob Dylan creates “Highway 61, Revisited” the first rock’n’roll concept album is born, and the well traveled subject of the road trip album is established.

US Route 61 historically traversed from Minnesota to New Orleans, providing a path for much of middle America towards jazz, booze, excitement and escape. The road follows the Mississippi River, so Dylan’s work is immediately placed in the company of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road”… read more



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an excerpt from “Because of My Guardian Angels”
by Francesca Alicea

The subject of my children’s father is one I rarely discuss.  Perhaps I’m just ashamed of the many years I tried to make it work. 

At times I wonder was I too young or did we just grow apart as I matured?  After all he was my first and I had no one to compare him to.  I had no idea of what a healthy relationship or what a good father or husband should be like.

I disregarded many red flags early on. Probably because I did not know any better. And when my children came I was even more determined to make it work. Looking back I realize that my determination to break the trend of growing up without a father totally blinded me.

Dagger after dagger, red flag after red flag went unnoticed or downplayed.  My priority was the children.  The thought of them growing up without their father would send chills up my spine.  But, since we all have our limits, that day came for me as well.

It took much to awaken me from a deep state of denial, but when I awakened, all I had buried or kept deep inside finally burst. There was no going back.

I can’t judge him. I know that we all have our burdens to deal with. Whatever was and is going on within him is not for me to criticize, but I can’t condone his actions either. I can’t change, judge, or help him. The battle within himself is his alone.

I can admit that, despite our differences and our altered missions in life, that he’s an excellent chess player, pianist, portrait artist, and that foreign languages are very easy for him to learn.

So as part of my healing I choose to focus on the positive things. I will always remember the beautiful oil on canvas portrait he painted of me and “Francesca’s Song” a piano instrumental he wrote for me.  Hey, I can even play a mean game of chess.  But, the best gifts of all are my two amazing children and now my grand.  These beautiful gifts were the result of my determination to make it work.

I differentiate better now and recognize exactly how I want to be treated.  So my next if I so choose I’m positive will not be random selection.

I hope to always remember that my children and grand all have or will have their mission and burdens to deal with in life. So I would like them to know that I will not judge them, but will always be a good listener.

And they should also be aware that the advice I give them comes from a loving mother’s heart.  And, that I’m human and made and will make mistakes.  I just hope they can forgive me whenever I do.

What’s New from Defenestrationism.net
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What a contest, what a contest–
what a contest.

From the cerebral to the emotional, from the natural to chaotic, from the mystical to the mathematical– this year’s poems defied our expectations.

Never one to waste time,
the Grand Prize Winner is

“How to Find a Black Hole in Your Kitchen“
by Dana Kroos

Fan Favorite:

“My Love Letter to Divine Femininity“
by Nicole Del Rio

Read all three finalists for the 2022 Lengthy Poem Contest, here.
Want more Lengthy Poems?
Submit a Lengthy Poem to next years contest.

Submission for our
2022 !Short Story Contest!
is now open until June 7th.
The contest will begin publishing weekly on June 19th.
Winners will be announced Labor Day (US), which is September 5th.

Join us at Defenestrationism.net
all of May and into June for our
Summer schedule,
featuring:

Turn Off Shuffle: Concept Albums Explained
a column by Paul-Newell Reaves

An excerpt from “Because of My Guardian Angels”
by Francesca Alicea

A Little Bit About Vastu
a five part series by Chantelle Tibbs

Back to the Lengthy Poem Contest
What’s New at Defenestrationism.net
!Short Story Contest! guidelines
even more contests from Defenestrationism.net

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by Paul-Newell Reaves

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

There are no other contenders: “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is the greatest concept album in the history of recorded music.  Her lyrics are powerful and often profound.  Her rhymes are multisyllabic, and her rhyme schemes complex.  And not a single track deviates from its simple, yet sophisticated concept: Lauryn Hill missed school the day they taught us all about Love.

We’ve heard a lot of songs about Love, before. But Hill doesn’t give us just another lesson on Love, or another sob-story, or another fairy-tale. She tells us what she wasn’t taught about Love, and what she should have been. 

But what makes “Miseducation” so very great is the full realization of its concept, beyond the wildest dreams of its potential… read more

Winners now announced for the 2022 Lengthy Poem Contest
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by Tom Ball

AWAKE AND FREE AGAIN

Finally after 3 months of bad dreams, I was free again.  And had happy, nice dreams.

Then I tried another job as brain chef.  Tried to guess what food machine foods people would like.  I would be given their portfolio and then ordered dishes. I had a lot of return customers.  But after a few months I tired of this job and decided to be unemployed for a while. And eventually I sold my nightmares for a lot of money (dreams were always recorded).  People were bored of nice dreams all the time… It was all new fashion.

And a quirk of this settlement I was in was you must never say the same thing twice.  If you had nothing new to say then you would remain silent.  It was a silent, “peaceful world.” After what I had been through I was only too happy to remain silent.

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