Vestigial by Aideen Henry

The cows drift over when there’s a shower, it’s like they’re tethered together by invisible ropes. Once one makes the move they all tug along, squelching in and out of each other’s muddy hoof prints, breathing misty air over each other’s flanks. Flock memory, Niamh calls it.

Photo by Marcino via Pixabay.com

'Vestigial', by Irish writer Aideen Henry, is a story of innocence and experience, looking at the lives of teenagers as they fumble towards connection, growth, lust and love. A selection by guest editor Madeleine D'Arcy. READ 'VESTIGIAL'.

'No Wake' by Jenna Isherwood

“On the drive down to Joe’s, Kelly has chided me for being a tourist because I suggested paying for a boat trip, as if her two years in Florida have made her a local. I got the idea of manatee spotting from the dog-eared cartoon sea cow dangling from Kelly’s rear-view mirror, its air-freshening chemicals long-since expended.”

Endangered sea creatures and endangered friendships feature in May 2016's edition of Long Story, Short Journal: 'No Wake' by Jenna Isherwood. A visit to Florida swampland searching for the vulnerable that lives just beneath the surface makes for perfect early summer reading.  Photo by Bob Miller. READ 'NO WAKE'.

Love Child by Mary Morrissy

We are delighted to present Mary Morrissy’s ‘Love Child’ as the April 2016 edition of Long Story, Short Journal. Mary Morrissy is an award winning Irish novelist (The Hennessy Award, Lannan Foundation award) and short story writer. ‘Love Child’ is one of the stories from her newly launched short story collection Prosperity Drive. Also featured int his issue is a photograph from Craig Niederberger. READ 'LOVE CHILD'.

The Boat

Water, water, everywhere, but not inside me; my organs, these vitals, they rattle like dusty pebbles. I understand those tubercular poets of the 19th century. In a slow decline, you reach for the pen...

'The Boat' by Hugh Fulham-McQuillan is a humorous story set against the backdrop of the post-Celtic Tiger recession, with its hero and his companions attempting to take a relaxing sun holiday at a seaside resort of repossessed properties and abandoned boats. With a single copy of Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim to entertain them, the companions strike out on a seafaring excursion that will test their survival skills and their friendships. CLICK HERE TO READ 'THE BOAT'.

The Starter

Photo © Chris Weeks

' ... my Dad would say Detroit was no place for a guy starting out. Even if he didn’t know the first thing about it, he would say things like that. And it was alright, far as places go; made me think about how the apocalypse might leave things, with maybe a few more automobiles lying around.'

December's story is by emerging writer and Trinity College Dublin graduate Naoimh O'Connor. Taking place along the docks of Detroit, The Starter is a tale of transition, loss, growth and the art of baking sourdough bread.