It is with mixed emotions that I welcome you to Issue 17, the penultimate issue of Empty Sink Publishing. After nearly three years of publishing some of the web’s finest prose, poetry, and visual art, Adam and I have decided to stop publishing Empty Sink as a magazine.

We’ve loved this work, as well as all of the readers and contributors we’ve gotten to know over the past few years. We’ve forged some relationships that will last a lifetime while working on this little zine, and if that’s the only thing that comes out of it, it will have all been worth it.

We are no longer accepting poetry and visual submissions, though we are still accepting submissions of fiction and non-fiction for our final issue. That being said, we are not closing down the Empty Sink brand at this time. We’ve built something here that works and has its own voice, and Suanne, Adam and I are all interested in seeing that voice continue to develop. Over the next few months, we will be exploring our options, and I intend to have a full update for you by the time we publish our final issue this fall.

Until then, though, we’ve got some fantastic work for you this month. From talking cows to backwards plane crashes to a poignant look at the impact of alcoholism, our fiction section is packed with the unique stories you’ve come to expect from us. Likewise, in our poetry section (curated again by the great Kurt Newton), the Reaper, and old man, and a Nazi mingle between the stanzas. And in our visual section, amidst some truly impressive paintings, we have some excellent collages for your viewing pleasure.

The Editor’s Choice for this month is the non-fiction story, “School is what you Make It,” and Other Lies my Parents Told Me, by Christina Berchini. This fantastic story explores the reality of our control over our own fates, and we’re proud to have it in this issue.

To everyone reading this, thank you for coming along with us for this ride. Most new literary mags don’t make it past the six-month mark, so to be able to make it three years is a great source of pride for both Adam and I. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without such impressive and dedicated readers and contributors, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor — 7/25/2016

CONTENTS OF ISSUE 17:

FICTION

Jack C. Buck — For Matthew and Somewhere in the Future You Are Remembering Today

Ian Johnson — Dear You

Paul de Marion — a strange and silent war

Max Orkis — Chewing the Cud

Lindsey Royce — Call Center; Watching her Neigh

Jennifer Sabin — We Have No Secrets

M.R. Tapia — Stella Reign

Giles Ward — Thaw

 
REALITY

Christina Berchini — “School is what you Make of It” and Other Lies my Parents Told Me (Editor’s Choice)

 
POETRY

Lana Bella — Timidity

Holly Day — Two Poems

Robert Earlywine — Come, Kind Reaper

William Keckler — Three Poems

Simon Perchik — Four Poems

Drew Pisarra — Chinese Roullette

 
VISUAL

W. Jack Savage — Four Images

Jean Wolff — Five Images

Richard Baldasty — Davey Hume, Surfer Dude

Maeve Roughton — Two Images

Michelle Dalton — Four Images

 
BOOK/MUSIC REVIEWS

Music review: Eyelids, by Saint Jame — Reviewed by E. Branden Hart

Beyond the Blue, by Tim McBain and L.T. Vargus — Reviewed by E. Branden Hart

Welcome to the 16^th issue of Empty Sink Publishing!

First, we’re very pleased to introduce poet and writer Kurt Newton as the guest poetry editor for the next two issues. Kurt chose four of the poets featured in April, and all of the poetry that will be in Issue 17. He did an excellent job, and we think you’ll agree he’s found some incredible poetry to share. Thank you Kurt!

Second, Suanne Schafer continues to pick intriguing stories in her role as Fiction Editor. In this installment, she brings you six tales ranging from the surreal to the sentimental, the unhinged to the understated. Of special note is this issue’s Editor’s Choice, “Falling Leaves,” by Cheri Brackett. This is one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful stories we’ve ever published, and we are very excited to feature it in this volume.

In this month’s visual section, we’ve got some fantastic pieces to energize your eyeballs. Speaking of which, we’re pleased to announce that we are now accepting video submissions for review. Spread the word: be it experimental, a short narrative film, or something in between, we’re ready to see video submissions that stretch the mind and defy convention.

But enough of us. Sit back and enjoy our latest offering of Empty Sink Publishing. Make sure to come back and see us this summer, when we’ll have even more announcements to unfurl with Issue 17!

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 4/24/2016

Photography by William Crawford

CONTENTS OF ISSUE 16:

FICTION

Pam Plumb — “A True History (Reality Version 1100101)”

Lewis Carter — “Departures”

L.J. Kelley — “Diana”

Orna Glick — “Dy(e)ing Purple”

Cheri Brackett — “Falling Leaves” (Editor’s Choice)

Jerry McGahan — “Patroit”

 
REALITY

Matt Kramer — “Rail Talk”

 
POETRY

Lakshmi Mitra — “Depression as Winterkill”

Fred Rosenblum — Two Poems

Amber Sydney-Woollett — “I Wonder”

John Grey — Two poems

Sandra Kolankiewicz — Three Poems

 
VISUAL

Allen Forrest — Three Images

Fabrice Poussin — Five Images

William Crawford — Seven Images

 
MIXED MEDIA

David Klugman — Chasm of Abuse

 
BOOK REVIEWS

Sausalito Poems 1959-1961 by L.G. Corey and The Nineteen Steps between Us by Darren Demaree, reviewed by Kurt Newton

Red Demolition by Juliet Cook, reviewed by A.J. Huffman

December Boys by Joe Clifford, reviewed by Suanne Schafer

The Grace of the Gingko by Michael Hardesty, reviewed by Suanne Schafer

The Memory of Us by Camille di Maio, reviewed by Suanne Schafer

Quarterly Comics Corner — Spring 2016, by E. Branden Hart

Welcome to the fifteenth issue of Empty Sink Publishing, in which we celebrate our second anniversary! Issue 1 was published on November 4, 2013. Since then, we’ve published work by over one hundred artists, writers, and poets, and this month, we’re doubling down. This issue features fourteen short stories and non-fiction pieces, works by nine different poets, eight visual artists, four book reviews, our new Comics Corner feature, and a partridge in a pear tree. But we’ve also got some great news to share.

Photography by Sarah Katharina Kayß.

This is the first issue our Fiction Editor, Suanne Schafer, has been responsible for that section. We’re proud of the great job she’s done selecting and editing the stories for this issue, and I know you’re going to enjoy them. There’s quite a mix here: from anthropomorphic kittens saving Christmas to murderous sea creatures—you know, the usual. But they are held together by one important thread: plain old good writing. Suanne can spot it!

In other news, in case you didn’t see the announcement, we’ve announced our Pushcart nominees for this year. We are so proud of the authors we nominated, and humbled that they chose us for their work. Congratulations to you all!

With Suanne on board, we’re defining our vision for the future of Empty Sink Publishing. We love the artists and authors we work with, the process of publishing their work, and the feedback we get from our readers. In order to explore the different opportunities available to us we’ve decided to move to a quarterly publication schedule. After this, our next issue will be in March 2016.

The Editor’s Choice for this month goes to Taylor Allen for her poem “Version 1.1.” This reimagining of the creation story captivated me the first time I read it and stuck with me for several days, which is exactly what I’m looking for in good writing. Still in high school, Ms. Allen has a bright future in writing ahead of her, and we are honored to publish her work!

We hope you will join us for our next adventure in 2016! In the meantime, please enjoy this mega-sized issue of Empty Sink Publishing.

Happy (and safe) holidays to you all,

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 12/12/2015

 
CONTENTS OF ISSUE 15:
 
FICTION

John Skarl — “Bleeding Wolfe”

Peter Clarke — “The Farewell Act is a Sideshow”

Joseph Randazzo — “Retail Suicide Death-Wish”

James Hanna — “Baby Boo Saves Christmas”

Bart Van Goethem — “Such a Wonderful Evening”

Dan Corfield — “Montmartre”

Jesse Lynn Rucilez — “Meal of a Lifetime”

Guinotte Wise — “Winchester Tattoo”

Tessa A. Adams — “Revolutions”

 
REALITY

Chad W. Lutz — “Before the Light Dims”

jjnotier — “Study Hall”

Briana Goins — “What I Never Told You”

Jennifer Mary G. — “Goodbye Butterfly”

James Hanna — “Cracking Vials”

 
POETRY

L. G. Corey — Three Poems

Emma Kliethermes — “Balance”

Darren C. Demaree — Three Poems

James B. Nicola — Four Poems

Christy Hall — Three Poems

Anne Britting Oleson — Three Poems

Daniel Sundahl — Two Poems

Chelsea Kirk — Three Poems

Taylor Allen — “Version 1.1” (Editor’s Choice)

 
VISUAL

W. Jack Savage — Six Images

Bill Wolak — Unexpected Pleasure

Christopher Woods — Three Photographs

Sarah Katharina Kayß — Six Photographs

Adam Kluger — Four Images

Keith Landrum — Three Images

Jeff Musillo — Seven Images

 
MIXED MEDIA

David Klugman — Visiting a Sage

 
BOOK REVIEWS

Book Review: Canticle for Leibowitz, Haw, Dustlands, by Suanne Schafer

Book Review Update: Call Me Pomeroy, Second Edition, by E. Branden Hart

Quarterly Comics Corner — Winter 2015, by E. Branden Hart
 

The end of 2015 is nigh, and for small publishers like Empty Sink Publishing, that means that exciting time of year is upon us—The Pushcart Prize nominations! For those unfamiliar with the award, this is an American literary prize that recognizes the best “poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot” featured in small presses over the previous year. Winners of the prize are published in a grand anthology; these anthologies have been published annually since 1976. Each publication can nominate up to six works they have published—and since we’re not the type to just stop short, we submitted the full six titles for the award this year.

Much like last year, the decision was difficult as we have been inundated with fantastic contributions, but these were the ones that stood taller than the rest. Somewhat confusingly, the best of 2015 are published in the 2017 titled anthology, but we’re not going to let that harsh our mellow. So without further ado, we would like to announce our six candidates for the prize this year. Drum-roll please!

Empty Sink Publishing nominations for the 2017 (like we said, it’s confusing) edition of the Pushcart Prize:

 
“Barter”: a short story by Sarah Khan, from Issue 11

“Brother’s Keeper”: short story by Paul Allison, from Issue 11

“The Melding Tree”: short non-fiction by Thomas N. Mannella III, from Issue 11

“Slow Drivers”: short story by Rachel Tanner, from Issue 12

“Exit Stage Left”: short story by Katrina Johnston, from Issue 13

“The Lightship”: short story by Eleanor Lerman, from Issue 14

 
We would like to congratulate these six talented writers, and we would also like to thank ALL of our contributors for making 2015 a resounding success!

Adam Dubbin
Publisher

On Monday, September 28, Publisher Adam Dubbin appeared on Empty Sink Publishing contributor Tammy Ruggles’ online talk radio program, The Promo Show 1, to talk with Tammy about various musings from inside and out of our humble publication. Follow this link or click on the image to the right to hear Adam discuss:

 
And in case you missed it before, Branden was interviewed back in the nascent days of publication—December, 2013—by The Unavoidable Drudge podcast show. He has a great talk with the guys from Drudge, and it’s very nostalgic listening Branden discuss the early days, while Adam’s fresh news brings you from the past up to the present. Enjoy!

Welcome to Issue 14 of Empty Sink Publishing. We’ve got a couple of big announcements to make. First, and most importantly, Adam and I would like to welcome Suanne Schafer on as our Fiction Editor. Suanne has appeared in past issues of Empty Sink Publishing and has one of the best editorial voices I’ve ever seen. We know that Suanne is going to do a great job, and we look forward to working with her!

With change, of course, comes challenge, and so we’re going to give ourselves a little bit of time to adjust to becoming a triumvirate, set up our systems, and get rolling. We’ll be taking a short hiatus; our next issue will appear sometime in December. We’ve got some interesting things planned for the future and can’t wait to roll them out for you, but we’ve got to take a little time to lay the foundation before diving in.

So the future is looking great, and we hope you’ll be a part of it. In the meantime, read on in this issue for some of the finest art, literature, and poetry being created today. Speaking of poetry, our Editor’s Choice for this month is poet Charles O’Hay. Mr. O’Hay’s poetry spoke to me more than any I’ve read recently, and it is an honor to have him publish with us.

Enjoy!

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 8/23/2015

 
CONTENTS OF ISSUE 14:

FICTION

Kyle Beasinger — “Rennie”

Eleanor Lerman — “The Lightship”

John Parras — “This is a Movie About Falling”

Jocelyn Cullity — “Another Love Story”

Kendall Neubeiser — “Imitate”

Noah Milligan — “The Deep Down Bone of Desire”

 
REALITY

Tom Vollman — “Jimmy”

 
POETRY

Jennifer Lagier — Three Poems

Luke Normsy — Four Poems

David Anthony Sam — Two Poems

Shelby Thomas — “Metal T”

Carles O’Hay — Three Poems (Editor’s Choice)

 
VISUAL

Nicholas Perry — Three Images

W. Jack Savage — Five Images

Clinton Van Inman — Three Images

 
MIXED MEDIA

David Klugman — Always Look Back

About a month ago, my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. It’s been a wild month, but it’s an amazing experiece, and I learn something new every day. I was worried that I would be unable to continue my ESP responsibilities after the kiddo arrived, but to my pleasant surprise, small children who can’t do much yield themselves quite well to editing an online literary and arts magazine.

Case in point: when my son wakes up at 3 AM, screaming like a pterodactyl, I don’t have to go into his nursery, rock him, and pray that he’ll go back to sleep. I can go into his nursery, rock him, and read him ESP submissions that I didn’t have time to get to during the day. Today, he got a little fussy, so I put him in my lap and read out loud as I proofread the poetry in this issue.

See, a lot of people told me that parenting is all about sacrifice, and while there are plenty of sacrifices, there are also these great moments to share the things you love with your children. It shows you that sometimes it’s about incorporation. It’s about turning shared experiences into something that’s mutually beneficial for both parties, and at the end of the day, that’s what we strive to do with our contributors here at Empty Sink Publishing. So without further ado, our Editor’s Choice for this month is “Exit Stage Left,” by Katrina Johnston. Ms. Johnston absolutely nails the unreliable narrator in a way that will catch you completely off-guard—it’s a fantastic story.

Enjoy this issue, and remember to take time out of your day to enjoy something you love with somebody you love.

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 6/7/2015

 
CONTENTS OF ISSUE 13:

FICTION

Allen X. Davis — “The Pedestrian”

Frank Diamond — “Evil People Are People Who Love Evil”

Sean Jackson — “Half-Dead Saints”

Suanne Schafer — “The Conservation of Matter”

Michael B. Tager — “This is How You Forget”

Katrina Johnston — “Exit Stage Left” (Editor’s Choice)

 
POETRY

Molly Chandler — Five Poems

C.S. Fuqua — Three Poems

Lucas Jacob — Two Poems

Travis Laurence Naught — “Tattoo Until Death”

 
VISUAL

Aaron James Farrell — Wandering Light, Part 3

Leonard Kogan — Three Images

Rees Nielsen — Four Images

Nicholas Perry — Four Images

W. Jack Savage — Three Images

 
MIXED MEDIA

David Klugman — The Two of Them

 
BOOK REVIEW

Back in Black, by L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain

Welcome to the new and improved Empty Sink Publishing! We’ve been talking about doing a redesign for some time now, and we finally made it happen. We hope you enjoy the new look and find it even more accessible than the old site. Special thanks to Leigh Sims for granting us permission to use her photo in the header. Funny thing is, the name of that photo is actually “Empty Sink.” It was meant to be.

We’ve got some amazing fiction, poetry, and visual art for you this time. We also have an interview with artist Gottfried In Berlin, as well as a review of James Hanna’s new collection of Pomeroy stories, Call Me Pomeroy.

Our editor’s choice for this issue is one of my favorite stories that we’ve ever published. “Slow Drivers,” by Rachel Tanner, is one of the most gleefully psychotic things I’ve ever read—you’re going to love it. If Ms. Tanner continues developing her unique voice, we will no doubt see more of her in the future.

Enjoy the new look and do us a favor: if you notice any problems as you’re browsing the revised site, drop us a line. We tried hard to make sure nothing got broken in the transition, but you never know what kind of wonky things can happen. Otherwise, get reading!

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 4/12/2015

 
CONTENTS OF ISSUE 12:

FICTION

Lewis Beilman — “The Trail”

Barbara Harroun — “Labor”

Buell Hollister — “Old Money”

Max Orkis — “Nothing Wrong”

Denise Tolan — “Six O’Clock Mass”

Rachel Tanner — “Slow Drivers” (Editor’s Choice)

 
REALITY

Elizabeth Rasch — Jung, Fetish, and the Artist: An Interview with Gottfried in Berlin

 
POETRY

Patricia George — Three Poems

Channie Greenberg — “His One Hundred Styles”

Dah Helmer — Three Poems

Kurt Newton — Three Poems

David Ritchie — “How Mr. O’Leary Slipped Into the Null”

Natalya Sukhonos — Four Poems

 
VISUAL

Aaron Farrell — Wandering Light, Part 2

Leonard Kogan — Three Images

Tobias D. Oggenfuss — Four Images

Nicholas Perry — Four Images

Francis Raven — The Eclipse of Art

Emily Story — Four Images

 
MIXED MEDIA

David Klugman — On the Other Side of Fear

 
BOOK REVIEW

Call Me Pomeroy, a novel by James Hanna

It’s official: Pomeroy has arrived. The man, the myth, and the legend you first met in Issue 1 of Empty Sink Publishing finally decided that our pages were not enough to contain him and got himself a book deal.

And I gotta say, I’m proud of Ol’ Pomeroy. I’ll never forget the first night I read a Pomeroy story—James Hanna’s brilliant prose and voice grabbed me from the first page. I’m also proud that Jim asked me to write an introduction for the book. To have my name associated with something he created is an honor, and I thank him for including me in Pomeroy’s journey.

Our Editor’s Choice for this month is the short story, Brother’s Keeper, by Paul Allison. This story enchanted me: the characters are so well fleshed-out, the situations so real. Mr. Allison is an excellent storyteller, and Brother’s Keeper is an excellent story that explores the depth and influence of family, and the struggle to find solace within it. It’s an excellent read, and we’re proud to have it in this issue.

As for the rest of this issue, I’m going to let it speak for itself. As we start our second year, I’m astounded by the quality of the material being submitted to us. But don’t take my word for it. Follow the links below for some of the freshest prose, poetry, and visual media today’s authors and artists have to offer.

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 2/8/2015

 
CONTENTS OF ISSUE 11:

FICTION:

Paul Allison — “Brother’s Keeper” (Editor’s Choice)

Frank Diamond — “Hospital View”

Sarah Kahn — “Barter”

Deborah Miller-Collins — “Facebook Lies”

Thaddeus Rutkowski — “Mentorship”

 
REALITY:

Nicholas Boke — “Finding My Memory”

Thomas N. Mannella III — “The Melding Tree”

 
POETRY:

L.G. Corey — Five Poems

Brad Garber — Four Poems

Sushant Leena — The Translated Hindi Poems of Sushant Supriye

Domenic Scopa — Four Poems

Reese Scott — Two Poems

 
VISUAL:

Aaron James Farrell — Wandering Light, Part 1

Leonard Kogan — Three Images

Clinton Van Inman — Two Images

Meeah Williams — Three Images

Welcome to Issue 10 of Empty Sink Publishing. To paraphrase Dave Chappelle, it’s time for a celebration, ladies. Because it’s our one-year anniversary.

One year and a month, to be exact, but the point is: last November, we started this enterprise, and we’re still here, publishing some of the best art, poetry, and writing from both established and up-and-coming artists and authors around the world. And we’re still moving forward, full steam ahead.

But let’s take a quick moment to look back. We’ve had the opportunity to publish some incredible work this year and wanted to give you an update on some of our favorites from Issue 1.

• Since originally appearing in Issue 1, artist Dani Orchard was named one of four female artists who are shaping the future of painting by Huffington Post.
• After publishing Rafe Posey’s story, A Newcomer’s Guide to the Dog Villages, author Ben Marcus contacted us and asked to get in touch with Mr. Posey. We, of course, obliged, and while we don’t know the outcome, we were very proud that an esteemed author such as Marcus was interested in a story from our little ol’ ‘zine.
• Titus Green continues to write and is back in this issue with a new short story that is perfect for anyone who thinks the world’s addiction to phones and tablets is going to end us all.
• Otha “Vakseen” Davis continues making a splash in both the music and art worlds, with countless shows under his belt, continued publication in some of the best indie mags around, and an online store where you can get all sorts of merchandise emblazoned with his best work.
• Award-winning poet and professor William Doreski wrote some of our favorite poetry from Issue 1, and he’s back in this issue with more poetry and as a participant in our “Twenty Questions” feature.
• And last, but certainly not least, James Hanna’s career is on fire. In the past year, we’ve published four of his stories: three of them in the “Pomeroy” series. He’s published a novel, The Siege, and is preparing to publish all three Pomeroy stories—plus an unpublished fourth—in a book due out this February. We are delighted to be the people who “found” Pomeroy, and wish James the best of success with the new book (which we will, of course, review on its release).

We’re very proud to have played a small part in the success of all our Issue 1 contributors. But the fun didn’t stop there. Throughout the year, we’ve published some astounding art and writing that deserves to be read and recognized by as wide an audience as possible. Fortunately, we have just that opportunity with the Pushcart Awards, which focus on pieces published by small presses in the previous calendar year. For us, the calendar year started with Issue 3 and ends with this one. It was difficult to pick the best from a field of such talented authors and artists, but in the end, we nominated the following contributors for their work:

• “A New Cookbook” (Issue 3), a poem by Claire Scott
• “The Gates of Sleep” (Issue 3), a poem by Moneta Goldsmith
• “Maiden Voyage” (Issue 6), a poem by Richard Fein
• “Luminita” (Issue 6), a short story by Ewa Bronowicz
• “Voyage Around Lies” (Issue 8), narrative nonfiction by Ìgbékèléolúwa Sàláwù
• “Flightless” (Issue 10), a short story by Gena LeBlanc

Congratulations to all of the nominees, and best of luck! We’ll anxiously await announcement of the winners and will report back in a future issue about the results.

Finally, our Editor’s Choice for this issue is the short story, Flightless, by Gena LeBlanc. I was intrigued by the story itself, but Ms. LeBlanc’s way with words is what makes this story so wonderful. She knows how to craft a fine sentence, and we look forward to seeing what she puts out next.

It’s been a wonderful year of publishing this magazine, and Adam and I both look forward to another. We’d like to thank all our contributors and readers for your support, and hope you’ll enjoy this issue, which is jam-packed with interviews, poetry, the new Pomeroy story, and some incredible art.

Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep doing whatever you do, and make it art.

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 12/7/2014

 
CONTENTS OF ISSUE 10:

FICTION:

Gena LeBlanc — “Flightless” (Editor’s Choice)

Veronica Fitzhugh — “He: A Collection”

Titus Green — “The Exile”

James Hanna — “Pomeroy and the New World Order”

 
REALITY:

Rick Bailey — “Beans Squared”

Dana Norris — “Ambivalence”

“Twenty Questions with William Doreski”

“Twenty Questions with W. Jack Savage”

“An Interview with Larry G. Corey”

“An Interview with L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain”

 
POETRY:

William Aarnes — Five Poems

Jacqueline Jules — Four Poems

Yvette A. Schnoeker-Shorb — Two Poems

Kevin Murphy — Four Poems

Brandy Ryan — “once/was”

Charles Rafferty — “Working Toward a Definition of Luck”

Larry Corey — Six Poems

William Doreski — Three Poems

 
VISUAL:

W. Jack Savage — Three Images

Lis-Anna Langston — Four Images

Clinton Van Inman — Three Images

 
BOOK REVIEW:

Fade to Black/Bled White, by L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain