No Extra Words one person's search for story

As we approach Mother's Day, the first of two episodes looking at moms, families, and other complicated relationships. First up, Margaret Adams' untitled piece of microfiction does what microfiction does best: capture a moment. Copyright 2005, used with permission. Visit Margaret's website. In "The Mother Party," a daughter holds auditions for a most important job. By Rachel Lyon, copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit Rachel's website. http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Sometimes you have to lose everything to know where you are. Sometimes your stuff defines you more than you think. "Spring Cleaning" is a poem about setting the stuff in the FREE box that you really need to get rid of. By Charles O'Hay, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Charles' website. Sometimes the things you want to hid away don't really fit into "Storage," the final poem of our National Poetry Month celebration. By Margaret Adams, copyright 2005, used with permission. Visit Margaret's website. Is eating stuff the best way to get rid of it, asks Len Kuntz in "Oreo." Copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit Len's website. The everyday becomes so powerful it is made illegal in "Soup." By Tino Mori, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Tino's bio. Don't forget to send your listener feedback for our 50th episode and vote for your favorite story by Friday, April 29. http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Celebrating National Poetry Month with six fantastic pieces...five poems of all different styles and feels and one short story. Can you spot who is who? Kicking off with a little "Perspective." This is the second episode in a row we have shared a piece called "Perspective," and I love how two different authors can go two different ways with it. By Janelle Cordero, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Janelle's bio. Did you ever wonder what kind of punctuation you would be? Jaclyn Tan does in "Ellipses." Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Jaclyn's website. "Apollo" is the story of a dog. Well, sort of. It's really so much more than the story of a dog. By Devyn Millette, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Devyn's bio. "Kid" is the story of...well, I won't tell you what I thought "Kid" was the story of the first time I read it. I'll just let you listen. By Jen Karetnick, copyright 2013, used with permission. Visit Jen's website. Do you participate in the "Transoceanic Twitter" as described by Alex Dreppec? If so, you should tweet me. Copyright 2013, used with permission. Visit Alex's website. Ellen Girardeau Kempler leaves us today with some essential "Travel Tips." You're gonna need them. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Ellen's bio. http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Back in January we had a Contributor Appreciation promotion, where we randomly drew four winners from our list of contributors. They received a prize from our sponsor, Channillo.com and the chance to have an interview feature on the show. Today I am delighted to bring you the third of those interviews. Mary's story "Wild Ones" appeared back on Episode 33 in February. She and I had a great chat about writing, reading, and inspiration. We tried to come up with a roller derby writing metaphor and totally cracked the code of the Star Wars franchise. I enjoyed chatting with Mary and hope you enjoy listening in. Since our chat, Mary has had two new pieces published she hopes you'll check out. One is at weirderary and one is at Loud Zoo. Please enjoy this special feature and tune in next week for Episode 44, where we play with the line between poem and story. I hope you'll check out our Contributor Appreciation Month sponsor, your home for serialized literature online, Channillo.com Happy listening, Kris

Everyone is sentenced to something on today's two-part poem/story pairing. Kicking off the first part, second-time podcast contributor Frederick Foote brings us the story of what happens when one man gets the "Goodbye Blues." Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Frederick's website here. Paired up with "Goodbye Blues" is t.j. peters' poem "Keel Day" about a most unusual family legacy. Copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit t.j.'s website here. Susan Moorhead kicks off the second part of today's show with "Perspective," on what happens when you are forced to listen to everyone's opinion. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Susan's bio here. In "Booked," we speculate on if the lawyer is the one being sentenced. By Zac Locke, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Zac's bio here. Don't forget to send your feedback and cast your vote for the 50th episode coming June 1!

Being somewhere new takes you right out of the place and time you are from. In "Shells to Call Home," Lisa finds herself in a moment she struggles to hold onto. By Leah Givens, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Leah's bio. Stephanie Dickinson takes us into National Poetry Month with a sensory prose poem experience in "Big Headed Anna Nurses her Imaginary Baby at Night in the Bayou." Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Stephanie's website. Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois rounds us out with the particular loneliness of a day at sea in "A Cruise Day." Copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Mitchell's bio. Please don't forget to vote for your favorite story from our archives and send your feedback for our 50th episode! http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

A celebration of the National Pastime, flash fiction style. In "The Game of His Life," the life of a ballplayer turns on this one important game. By Jeff Dupuis, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Jeff's bio or hear his previous contribution to the show. As with all our April episodes, this one contains a poem. "Minors" is a great tribute to minor league baseball in all its glory. By Francis DiClemente, copyright 2012, used with permission. This piece was originally published in his poetry chapbook Pursuit of Infinity (Finishing Line Press.) Visit Francis' website or hear his previous contribution to the show. There is a special pleasure and a special pain to being a Cubs fan. Angela Lombardo has been there in "1969 All Over Again." Copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit Angela's website, where she shares her fabulous work as a cartoonist. "Spring Tryouts" is the story of one baseball player with more heart than talent. By Eddie Snipes, copyright 2009, used with permission. Visit Eddie's website. This episode also introduces the podcast "Attagirl: women and girls in baseball." Find Attagirl in iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app or check out the community on Facebook. It was a real pleasure to put together this special episode to commemorate a special day. I hope you enjoy it! http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Today is all about young women main characters navigating the life after what happened. In "Live Action Regret," it's about what you do and don't tell the new boyfriend about your twisted past. By Cynthia Romanowski and read to you in her voice. Copyright 2014, used with permission. Read her awesome bio here. In "A-88" it's about becoming a woman in a complicated time and place and where you go from there...and what stays behind. By Meher Ali, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit her website. http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Maybe it's forever...or maybe it just feels like it. "Farmer's Wife Turns Hubby Into Scarecrow"...but she had a reason to. Honest. By Sally Stevens, copyright 2009, used with permission. Read Sally's bio here. "The Cat on Snow" is one of those moments that seem suspended in time. By Tim Frederick, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Tim's website. "Chickens" is about one woman's move into the country. By Carol Arnett, copyright 2011, used with permission. Read Carol's bio here. http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Back in January we had a Contributor Appreciation promotion, where we randomly drew four winners from our list of contributors. They received a prize from our sponsor, Channillo.com and the chance to have an interview feature on the show. Today I am delighted to bring you the second of those interviews. This episode introduces you to Sarah Mitchell-Jackson, whose story, as with our special episode from two weeks ago, was featured on last week's episode. Sarah was kind enough to jump onto Skype with me and talk about her writing, her inspirations, and what it's like to be nominated for a Pushcart Prize. I hope you enjoy this special feature, and stay tuned for a new episode with three short stories coming next week. Please check out our Contributor Appreciation Month sponsor, your home for serialized literature online, Channillo.com http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

There's more than "Frozen Food" in Grandma's freezer. By Francis DiClemente, copyright 2014, used with permission. Visit his website. "Frozen Food" was originally published in the magazine The Literary Hatchet. Holding the center today is the monster "Charybdis." By Michelle Dotter, copyright 2011, used with permission. Read her bio here. Sometimes "The Chair" really is so much more than just that. By Sarah Mitchell-Jackson, copyright 2009, used with permission. Visit her website. http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Everything is in the timing. In "Improvisation," by Phillip Sterling, a guy walks into a bar. Where it goes from there you will have to listen and see. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Phillip's bio here. "Dial 116" provides a service you thought would be the greatest thing ever. And it might be. By Robert Lunday, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Robert's website. http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Back in January we had a Contributor Appreciation promotion, where we randomly drew four winners from our list of contributors. They received a prize from our sponsor, Channillo.com and the chance to have an interview feature on the show. Today I am delighted to bring you the first of those interviews. This episode introduces you to Nels Hanson, whose story, by coincidence, was featured on last week's episode. Nels and I were not able to connect directly, but he was kind enough to record his answers to my questions. It's a fabulous insight into the inspirations of an author, especially after having just heard his story on the show. I hope you enjoy this special feature, and stay tuned for a new episode with two short stories coming next week. Please check out our Contributor Appreciation Month sponsor, your home for serialized literature online, Channillo.com

"The Silver Horseshoe" takes us to a family farm where a fable has been told for generations. It has all the classic elements...a love that can't be (in this life,) a hero, and, of course, buried treasure. Is the treasure lost...or do we find it? By Nels Hanson, copyright 1992, used with permission. A special episode featuring Nels Hanson is coming soon, stay tuned! Read his bio here. In "Daydreaming," love once wished for can be found. By Ashley Williams, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read her bio here. Be sure to get your baseball stories to us by March 18! Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

"The Intruders" by Joel Allegretti describes the moment when things appear. Copyright 2012, first published in 2013 in Thrice Fiction, republished in 2015 as part of the anthology SHALE: Extreme Fiction for Extreme Conditions and used with permission here on the show. Visit Joel's website. "Caught Between," written and read for you by Pat Obermeier, is about a woman who dreams of time travel. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Pat's website. Rounding out the show today is "A Place Between the Places We Call Home" by Emma Wren, a piece which attempts to answer a very common and very big question. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Emma's website. Stop by and visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Aren't we all, to one degree or another, just putting on a show? Frederick K. Foote, Jr.'s "Blue-Black" takes us to the heart of the Jim Crow South and leaves us wondering what the rules are. Copyright 2015 and used with permission, read for you by the author. Visit his website. In "Life in Repetition," a mother must deal with the reality of her world when others have a choice to face it or not. By Sheila M. Good, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit her website. Please visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com to connect.

A special holiday bonus for our listeners featuring two pieces of flash nonfiction. Today's special guest is Susan Vollenweider from the History Chicks podcast. Susan Vollenweider is a columnist for The Kansas City Star and one half of the podcast and writing team, The History Chicks. She graduated from Loyola University, New Orleans and eventually parlayed her education into a Stay at Home Mom gig until she realized she couldn't cover any bills with the pay. Originally from Connecticut she now lives in Kansas City, MO and works on the internet at www.thehistorychicks.com and www.susanvollenweider.com. She is available for banter @EssephVee Enjoy your holiday weekend and check us out as always at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

This episode starts with an untitled story by M. Pepper Langlinais to get you in the right (although maybe not holiday) mood. This story is copyright 2014 and used with permission. Visit her website here. In "Sunrise," we walk with a family through their moments of most intense emotion. By Sherry Sellars, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Sherry's bio here. A tired waitress finds a whole new world in Christopher Woods' "Sprawl." Copyright 2011, used with permission. Read Christopher's bio here. Look for a special holiday bonus episode this weekend. See you then! Let us know what you think at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Wherever you go in this world, you are always surrounded by someone. John Mueter shares why one unlikely pair are "Roommates." Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read John's bio here. The "Wild Ones" come to town and stir up all kinds of emotion in our second story. By Mary Alice Long, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Mary's bio here. Adam Kluger takes us to the New York City setting of his story "Our Kind of Town" with some wonderful extra audio and shows us who the city really belongs to. Copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Adam's bio here. Please let us know what you think at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

The world keeps spinning even when some are gone. Those of us who are left get to spin with it. "Magic Palm" follows a family through the years of Red China as a young woman finds comfort in her grandmother's words. By Kevin Brown, copyright 2008, used with permission. Read Kevin's bio here. "Doug" follows a young man whose potential is just that...potential...to see what he does or doesn't do. By Mercedes Lawry, copyright 2013, used with permission. Read Mercedes' bio here. In "Balloon," a tradition helps with a tough moment, but also brings back the memories of how it started. By Evan Guilford-Blake, copyright 2010, used with permission. Read Evan's bio here. Today we wrap up Contributor Appreciation Month with one final drawing for a writer to win a subscription to channillo.com. It has been a delight to honor our contributors and partner with Channillo. Thank you to everyone! I look forward to bringing you more about the winning contributors in the coming weeks and months. Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

How we see ourselves versus how others see us. A troubled girl is really just a flower in "Blooming" by Patty Somlo. "Blooming" is copyright 2010 and used with permission. Visit Patty's website. Dawn Corrigan reads her story "Nonsense Syllables" about a very musical family who can't carry a tune. "Nonsense Syllables" is copyright 2015 and used with permission. Visit Dawn's website. This episode also features the third of four drawings in our Contributor Appreciation Month promotion sponsored by our friends at channillo.com. Please let them know you appreciate their support. You can tweet at them here. Visit http://noextrawords.wordpress.com to let us know what you think!

"Roller Blading in Venice" is by Julie Christine Johnson, making her second appearance on the No Extra words podcast. Her short story "Granny" was featured on Episode 23. "Roller Blading in Venice" is copyright 2015 and used with permission. For more information about Julie, including all the scoop on the launch of her debut novel, "In Another Life," on February 1, please visit her website. "Wholesale" is by Jeff Bakkensen, copyright 2015 and used with permission. Read Jeff's bio here. "Progress" is by Sean Antoniak, copyright 2015 and used with permission. Visit Sean's website here. "Grow, Jesus" is written and read for you by Gabriel Congdon. It is copyright 2015 and used with permission. If you enjoyed Gabe's reading of "Grow Jesus," you'll love his YouTube channel. This is Week 2 of Contributor Appreciation Month here on the No Extra Words Podcast, which means a lucky contributor is going to win our prize drawing. I had a chance to speak to Mary Alice Long, winner of the Week 1 drawing, and she was very excited. You'll hear Mary's story in three weeks as part of Episode 33. Contributor Appreciation Month is sponsored by channillo,com, so please head on over to their website and check them out. Also, be sure to find them on Twitter and thank them for sponsoring your favorite podcast. Want to know more? Or let us know what you think? Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

It's perfectly reasonable to have a thing that lives inside your closet. And when a suspicious character shows up at your doorstep demanding, of all the horror, productivity, it's perfectly reasonable to invite him in for a sandwich. Right? "The Thing that Lives Inside My Closet," by Brandon T. Madden, is copyright 2015 and used with permission. Read Brandon's bio here. "The Poet's Resistance," by Jason Walker, is copyright 2015 and used with permission. Read Jason's bio here. This episode also launches Contributor Appreciation Month! Each week in January we will draw live on the show the name of a former or future contributor and honor them with a Channillo subscription and more. Thanks so much to channillo.com for sponsoring the promotion all January long. http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Starting with a classic element of any New year..."The Diet." By Diane Valentine, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Diane's bio here. Read in her own lovely voice is Aileen Hunt's "The Man Who Taught My Children About Dragonflies." Copyright 2014, used with permission. Visit Aileen's website here. "Flowers" is a brilliant piece of microfiction about the celebration and mystery of sending flowers. By Charles Rafferty, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Charles's bio here. Follow the love story of "How My Parents Fell in Love." By Dallas Woodburn, copyright 2011, used with permission. Visit Dallas's website here. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who made 2015 such an amazing journey for this show. Looking forward to bringing you more great content in 2016, starting with Contributor Appreciation Month in January sponsored by Channillo.com Please let us know what you think of our new sound, new theme song, and return to our old format. Visit our website at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

First up, a beautiful short story by Bob Thurber entitled "Our Trip to the Moon." I could not imagine a more delightful companion to this finale of our series. Visit Bob's website here. I am delighted to share this final episode of our four-part series to celebrate Christmas. If you have missed the earlier installments, please check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 first. As always, we would love to hear what you think at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com. And please stay tuned for a New Year's episode with a more traditional format next week.

If you have not yet heard Parts 1 and 2, please refer to Episodes 24 and 25. This is the third of a four-part series of episodes showcasing an original whimsical story of Christmas, the North Pole, elves, Santa, and, of course, reindeer. "A Christmas Serial" is copyright 2015. In addition, this episode also features "Rick's Picks," about 2 characters in a terrible rut. By Benjamin Toche, copyright 2011, used with permission. Visit Benjamin's website. Musical credits: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as performed by the U.S. Marine Corps Band is in the public domain. Our theme music is "Reverie: small theme" by _ghost and is used under Creative Commons License. As always, please let us know what you think! http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

If you have not heard Part 1, tune in to Episode 24. This is the second of a four-part series of episodes showcasing an original whimsical story of Christmas, the North Pole, elves, Santa, and, of course, reindeer. "A Christmas Serial" is copyright 2015. In addition, this episode also features "Gingerbread Houses in the School of Architecture," a holiday story in which the rules get broken. By Jody Brooks, copyright 2010, used with permission. Read Jody's bio here. Musical credits: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as performed by the U.S. Marine Corps Band is in the public domain. Our theme music is "Reverie: small theme" by _ghost and is used under Creative Commons License. As always, please let us know what you think at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Welcome to the first installment of "A Christmas Serial." First in a four-part series of episodes showcasing an original whimsical story of Christmas, the North Pole, elves, Santa, and, of course, reindeer. "A Christmas Serial" is copyright 2015. In addition, this episode also features "Garrick and the Dare," a short story about what happens when a daredevil is always trying to one-up himself. By Shawn Cowling, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Shawn's wonderful blog and website here. Musical credits: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as performed by the U.S. Marine Corps Band is in the public domain. Our theme music is "Reverie: small theme" by _ghost and is used under Creative Commons License. As always, visit http://noextrawords.wordpress.com and let us know what you think!

Big announcement of an upcoming promotion! If you are a regular listener and especially if you are a contributor to the show, you want to hear this! Follow http://noextrawords.wordpress.com for all the details. If you like the audio you hear on this special, you will love Libsyn's "Thanks Podcasting" podcast. Have a listen to more stories. Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a four story episode that really splits nicely into two sections, but the overall theme is "resilience." Part 1 is about gratitude when times are tough. In "A House Burning," an out of control fire also proves cleansing. By Matthew Keefer, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Matt's website here. In "Chipped," a neighborhood has seen its share of tough times and is shabby compared to the well-off neighbors. By Tina Tocco, copyright 2004, used with permission. Read more about Tina here. Part 2 is about those tough family relationships that can be the best and worst parts of this and all seasons. "Granny" examines that moment that comes to many of us when dealing with an elderly relative with dementia. By Julie Christine Johnson, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Julie's website here. "Meyer's Rebellion" ends this episode on a lighter note, as a man leaving his wife of 46 years has some reassuring news for her. By Paul Beckman, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Paul's website here. Our theme music is "Reverie: small theme" by _ghost and is used with our thanks under a Creative Commons license. Would love to hear what you think! Check in with us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com and we will see you in December for our Christmas Serial specials!

In "Fairytale Kingdom" a family experiences one last moment of almost normal before the coming storm. By Robin Vigfusson, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read her bio here. In "Open Door" a man's musings on whether or not he locked his front door provide a framework to make an impossible decision. By Ajay Patri, copyright 2014, used with permission. Read his bio here. Our theme music is "Reverie: small theme" by _ghost, used under a Creative Commons license and we are grateful. Thank you for tuning in today! As always, we value your feedback and you can find links to subscribe at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Depending on where you live, I hope you are making time in your life to honor sacrifice on this Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, or Armistice Day. Here at No Extra Words, we wanted to take this holiday back to its roots and make you think. This episode is a little different than our usual format and we hope you enjoy it. "In Memoriam" is a poem by Ewart Alan Mackintosh written in May 1916. Lieutenant Mackintosh was killed in action in November 1917 at the age of 24. Find more information about him and the poem at http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/ewart-alan-mackintosh-in-memoriam.htm. The poem is in the public domain, thanks to freesound.org for the public domain church bells sound. "Peter on the Island/Pan is Dead" is a re-imagining of an old legend by Adam McOmber. It is copyright 2015 and used with permission. Be sure to visit Adam's website at adammcomber.com. In Armistice Day tradition, this episode ends with 2 minutes of silence. The first minute is to honor those lost, and the second minute is to honor those left behind: the families, the comrades, and the veterans. We hope you will join us in this reflection. As always, please let us know what you think! http://noextrawords.wordpress.com Our theme music is "Reverie: small theme" by _ghost, used under a Creative Commons license and we are grateful.

What happens when your name lives without you. In "Achilles," we learn what happens when you carry the name of an ancient hero into a modern day small town. By Charles Rammelkamp, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read for you by the author. Read his bio and learn where to find more stories about Potawatomi Rapids here. In "What We Talk About When we Talk About Homer," eighth grader Homer will live in the yearbook for many many years to come. By Marina Frances Mularz, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read her bio here. As always, let us know what you think! http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Storytelling at its finest. "Mama Said" covers all the things mama said, from her solid advice to her thoughts on what to do with her after she dies. By Brett Vickers, copyright 2011, used with permission. Read his bio here. In "21 Days," we are left to wonder which version of the story is better, the one Grandma told or the truth. By Tina Tocco, copyright 2013, used with permission. Read her bio here. "Going off the Rails" is the story of one epic move. By Brianne Holmes, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read her bio here. "Reception" is what happens when the bridesmaid comes properly armed. By PJ Sambeaux, copyright 2014, used with permission. Read her bio here. As always, we look forward to hearing what you think! Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

Sometimes it's obvious who is crazy. Sometimes it's not. In "A Junior Whopper, Please, With Cheese," a sign held up by a homeless man inspires a restaurant worker to make a human connection. By James Hartman, copyright 2014, used with permission. Read his bio here. In "Min-Max-Out," listeners are taken through the phases of life at the behavioral unit in Mass General. By Emm Rose Borgerding, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read her bio here. As always, we would love to hear what you think! Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

That moment when you realize you are living in your future. In the sci-fi romance story "I'll Meet You There," a couple in 2140 find intimacy in technologically advanced times. By Cassandra Ricard, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read her bio here. In "The Brunch Place," a man many years beyond college sees an old flame and realizes they are not who they were. By Jeff Dupuis, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here. As always, we look forward to hearing from you! http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

The confusion of adolescence, when "consent" is not a straightforward idea. In "Lindsay and I," a girl at the beginning of puberty has one of those friends who knows it all and isn't afraid to make her feel young and stupid. But is she the only one? By Nathan Alling Long, copyright 2000, used with permission. Previously published in "The Portland Review. Learn more about Nathan here. In "The Deak," an adolescent encounter with the school bully has lasting effects. By Stephen Baily, copyright 2012, used with permission. Read his bio here. What did you think of today's episode? Visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com and let us know what you think.

It sound like such a good idea at the time! In "There is Rest for the Wicked," a couple go through the motions of something that isn't there anymore. By Vincent Douarre, copyright 2014, used with permission. Read his bio here. In "Bleeding Out," a man recovering from a relationship learns a few lessons from a friend on the farm. By Brian Burmeister, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here. In "Smooth Operator," the outfit blessed by the voodoo priestess seemed like such a good idea... By Jason Kerzinski, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here. Plans are underway for future episodes. What do you think? What are you looking for? Be sure to visit us at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com and let us know!

Today's stories are all fresh voices, from newer and younger writers or starring youthful characters. They bring us a fresh perspective in more ways than one. "1001 Reasons to Love Rachel Maddow" is the typical boy-meets-girl story told in untypical fashion. By Zachary Hay, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here. "So Bored" is a piece of microfiction featuring the voice of a young person having an adventure, or maybe just wasting time. By Jake Bible, copyright 2015, used with permission. Find out more about Jake and read his other microfiction at jakebible.com. In "Out of Order," you find yourself as a fifth grader on the school bus, a dangerous place to be if you aren't ready to relate to others. By Angela Luo, copyright 2014, used with permission. Read her bio here. ****A couple of corrections to errors discovered post-recording: 1) The correct title of Jake Bible's podcast is Writing in Suburbia. Find it in iTunes or check Jake's website for more information. 2) The hashtag to follow on Twitter for flash fiction is #FridayFlash As always, we look forward to hearing from you! http://noextrawords.wordpress.com

In "Hungry," a war veteran has to leave his house when he doesn't want to, which forces him into a conversation with his young neighbor who doesn't see him or the world the way he expects. By Michelle Lee, copyright 2015, used with permssion. Read her bio here. In "Sealed," a young man assists his father with an act of service he wasn't expecting his father to do and learns something about that relationship. By Jeremy Schnee, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read for you by the author. Find out more about Jeremy at www.jeremyschnee.com. What do you think of today's show? Contact us and let us know or visit our website http://noextrawords.wordpress.com to leave a comment.

In "A Dangling Man," a stranded hiker contemplates the turns his life has taken to get him to his precarious position. By T.R. Healy, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here. In "Sequels," a father and son on a cemetery visit try to navigate their complex relationship and reveal the real truth about their past and present. By Christopher Acker, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here.

In "The House," Madaline moves to a new town and is intrigued by the old theater, which is totally empty and boarded up. Or is it? By Karen Soutar, copyright 2014, used with permission. Find more of Karen's work and see a picture of The House at http://karensoutar.wordpress.com In "Crawling Hand (with a gun)," a man left alone in a beach club is terrorized by what he knows can't be real: a crawling hand with no face or features aiming a gun right at him. By Earl Hatsby, copyright 2013, used with permission. Check out Earl's website at www.practicallyserious.com

In "Life Lessons," a woman reflects on a world she had for a moment and didn't think she'd miss. By Lorna Wood, copyright 2015, used with permission. Check out Lorna's author page at http://amazon.com/author/lornawood In "Trivia," the contestant on a public access game show thinks she is prepared until she sees what questions are being asked. By Madaline Foglesong, copyright 2015, used with permission. Find more of Madaline's work at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/maddyfo In "Flight of Desire," a man obseres a neighbor with a hobby he'll never understand. By Diane Payne, copyright 2014, used with permission. Read Diane's bio here. No Extra Words by the Numbers: We have dozens of listeners! Every day, on average, we have 6-11 downloads of either current or back episodes. This gives us lots of room to grow...tell your friends! Including today, we have aired 24 different short stories. 10 short stories were by contributors, 2 from the public domain, and one by a listener. More contributor stories are coming! 30 different contributors are confirmed for between now and December. We have received over 70 short story submissions from over 65 different authors around the world...and have room for more! Happy listening, Kris

"A Form of Idolotry" comes to us from Guyana. It asks the question: after the revolution, will the new government ever be able to truly move forward? By John S. Lewis, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio here. In "Ex-Pats," we travel to a tiny island in Micronesia where people go to escape from their past...and the rules. By Cristina Querrer, copyright 2014, used with permission. Find more of Cristina's work at yourartsygirl.blogspot.com. Want to help the podcast grow? Three things you can do: Share, Subscribe, Review

The public domain is a clause in copyright law allowing works which have been around for some time to be re-used and re-imagined without having to obtain permission from the copyright holder. (It's why there are so many versions of "A Christmas Carol.") No Extra Words is thrilled to use this clause to bring you two classic pieces of flash fiction. "The Tradesman," written ca. 1920 is a lesser-known story by 20th century literary great Franz Kafka. It has amazing power to resonate with 21st century readers. "I Won't," originally published in 1875 is a parable by 19th century children's writer Juliana Horatia Ewing. How is it similar to and different from the morality tales of its time? Don't forget! We have an active Challenge to the Listeners going on right now. Read the writing prompt and send your response in by Thursday, August 13 for your chance to be featured on Episode 9.

In "The Frog Prince," three frogs watch from a lily pad while the princess conducts her happily ever after search on Twitter. They remain passive observers until she decides to turn to an old story for help. By Lucy Mitchell, copyright 2015, used with permission. Find more about Lucy and her writing at http://blondewritemore.wordpress.com/ In "The 18 Facebook Statuses of a Relationship," we follow the relationship of Jen Smith the way most of us do these days - vicariously through her facebook page. By Kris Baker Dersch, copyright 2015, all rights reserved. Reminder: our current Challenge to the Listeners is ongoing! Write your up to 500 word short story on the Lenin statue for your chance to be featured on episode 8 of the podcast, coming August 19.

Very short stories on becoming who and what you really are. In "On/Off" by Taylor Eaton, a small boy uses a magical power no one else can see. Copyright 2015 by Taylor Eaton, used with permission. Find out more about Taylor at littlewritelies.com In "Selkie" by Lisa Falzon, a mythical creature does not do what the myth says she will do. Copyright 2014 by Lisa Falzon, used with permission. Check out Lisa's visual storytelling at flashwounds.tumblr.com In "Requiem: for piano" by Nancy Stohlman a man's true love is becoming something he loves, but her transition will come between them. Previously published in "Literary Oprhans," copyright 2012 by Nancy Stohlman, used with permission. Read more about Nancy at www.nancystohlman.com Editor's commentary features the six word short story "Semicolon," an homage to Ernest Hemingway. Copyright 2015 by Kris Baker Dersch, all rights reserved. Thank you to our show sponsor, The Catapult Podcast. Join us August 5th for Love and Heartbreak in the 21st Century, our "flash fiction summer beach reads" episode featuring a story from BlondeWriteMore.

Starting with one of the oldest forms of storytelling...the annoying camp song! Today's campfire theme is "What Summer Camp Means to Me." Thank you to our marvelous listeners and friends for sharing their thoughts. In "A Not-so-Ghostly Ghost Story" by Kris Baker Dersch, the looming specter of a mysterious shape in the woods is terrifying, but not what it seems. Campfire closes with a piece of microfiction called "What Summer Camp Means to Me," submitted by listener Mrs. J. Join us July 22 for the Microfiction Triumvirate Episode featuring flash fiction by Taylor Eaton, Lisa Falzon, and Nancy Stohlman. Check us out at http://noextrawords.wordpress.com for all the fun stuff coming up!

In "A Parable on the Challenge of Being an Unpublished Writer," novelist Reed is considering taking a break from the financial and emotional strain of writing a novel, until he meets an unexpected visitor. By Tom Farr, copyright 2015, used with permission. In "Secret is Safe," mom LeeAnn usies all kinds of words around her infant son and one day realizes how well he has been listening. By Kris Baker Dersch, copyright 2015, all rights reserved. About the contributor: Tom Farr is a blogger, freelance writer, and storyteller who spends his days teaching English Language Arts to high school students. He loves creating and spending time with his wife and three children. Follow him on Twitter, on Medium, or visit his blog The Whisper Project for writing tips and updates on his latest projects. Check out http://noextrawords.wordpress.com or use our listener feedback line at 425-686-9495 to leave your comments on the show. Theme music is Requiem: Small Theme by _ghost, used under a Creative Commons license.

In "Parent-Teacher Conference Day," a stressed-out mom of two has to fit a conference with a teacher about how to help her seven-year-old learn to read into an already busy day and already busy life. She fights her mom guilt and wonders if all of it is her fault. In "The Old Family Problem," a man remembers his father who couldn't read and endures his own struggles with reading before his son is finally diagnosed with dyslexia and he can begin to understand what his family has struggled with for generations.