Sheela-na-Gig by Susan Burke-Trehy

She settled into her seat near the back of the bus, grateful that her dishevelled appearance would discourage the other passengers from sitting close to her. She had, in the last few weeks taken to dressing in dungarees, fleeces and wellies. Added to this were a few well chosen gardening titles from the library and a straw basket so that she just about passed for an organic farmer-type, the kind that would not look out of place on a bus bound for West Cork. As she peered out of the grimy bus window, she allowed the last glimpses of Cork to slip out of sight, pushing away any feelings of regret or fear. All is as it should be, she whispered under her breath...

The March 2015 edition of Long Story, Short Journal leads readers into the darker heart of spring with emerging writer Susan Burke-Trehy's 'Sheela-na-Gig'; photo by Alan McCord. Rose Hawthorn is on the verge of a new life, returning to her childhood home to settle an old debt in a tale that merges a contemporary narrative of estrangement with an undercurrent of Irish mythology. CLICK HERE TO READ 'SHEELA-NA-GIG'. 

Woman Driving, Man Sleeping by Alan McMonagle

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Photo © Jason Cameron

Cathy has an amazing scream and when she sticks her head out of the driver window and issues her command, the way ahead parts like a miracle sea. 'That's my girl,' Dominic mutters, leaning his head against the passenger window and closing his eyes.       

The September 2014 offering of Long Story, Short Journal is new work by Alan McMonagle, author of 'Psychotic Episodes' (Arlen House). 'Woman Driving, Man Sleeping' puts readers behind the driver's seat on a couple's driving holiday in Africa, moving at a clip where it becomes clear we cannot know what is coming around the corner. CLICK HERE TO READ 'WOMAN DRIVING, MAN SLEEPING'.

Lake House

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Photo © Kristen Johansen

Smoke inhalation, electrocution by live lines, roof collapse. Burning. Any of those deaths might have seemed more normal, or at least appropriately courageous. If he’d rushed straight into hell with a pike pole and a booster line, no one would have batted an eye. But Gus died in bed. And that didn’t sit well with some people.

American writer Jason Kapcala is the author of the July edition of Long Story, Short Journal. 'Lake House' explores the question of how a person constructs their own legacy. Readers are immersed in the crucible of risk and relationships, questioning exactly how much 'fire' one can cope with while maintaining human connections. Photo provided by Kristen Johansen. READ 'LAKE HOUSE'.