Something Published: “Dog Down the Stairs” appears in The Nemadji Review

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This year’s theme was “Welcome to the 13th Floor.” The cover art titled Secret Tunnel of the Willow is by Amy Bates.

My flash fiction story “Dog Down the Stairs” was selected for the 2024 Nemadji Review, which is published by the University of Wisconsin-Superior. I’m so excited to be included in the Review because I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, a small but mighty force for liberal arts and education majors. Every time I walk onto the campus of my alma mater, happy memories flood my soul, and I feel as though I’m being hugged.

Last night the dedicated editorial staff of The Nemadji Review held a reading for the writers whose works appear in this year’s journal. What a delightful evening! Beautiful prose and poems were read by writers in a cozy and inviting auditorium filled with a supportive audience, followed by conversations with fellow writers while eating scrumptious treats. I had a brownie and a cookie!

I think I’m getting better at these readings. Before last night’s event, I read an essay at another journal launch in April. After I finished my five-minute reading and took my seat, I realized that I hadn’t had an “out of body” experience while reading. Before that, somewhere in the middle of a reading, fear would always take over, and I would become disconnected from the written word. I would no longer be able to put any emotion into the words because I would need all my energy to wade through my fear in order to finish reading. However, last night I did it again — I made it through my allotted reading time without having an “out of body” experience.

Maybe the brownie I ate before I read gave me courage. Or maybe I’ve come to realize the floor isn’t going to crack open and swallow me. Flying monkeys aren’t going to whisk me off stage. And my tenth-grade speech teacher isn’t going to present me with a grade.

I also think, because I keep reading in front of people, my flight or fight mode has relaxed. It’s decided there is no reason for concern. Best to save the adrenaline for real emergencies.

[To read my story click here, then scroll to page 94 of the journal.]

I forgot to have my friend take a photo of me reading. Perhaps that was a convenient-memory slip.

23 thoughts on “Something Published: “Dog Down the Stairs” appears in The Nemadji Review”

  6. See, all you needed is some practice! Congrats on getting your story published. I submitted but they didn’t want mine. Probably because it had something to do with a professor abusing his students. 🙂

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    • Hi Lois. I have thought about your question a lot. I wish this was a conversation we could have by phone or in-person. But maybe I’ll blog about some different ideas. I read a lot of short stories and fiction. A friend of mine and I started a Short Story Club. Instead of reading a book and talking about it, we read a short story and talk about it. We pick it apart and look at how the writer put their story together. But I know that’s not what you’re asking. I think I have an idea that might work for people. I will blog about it. I will try to post something in a week.

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