Ghost on the Edges

by Lily Bruzas photo by Ben Wilson I may look like a real person from a distance, but I am not. I am like a rag doll stitched together of odd parts. I am a ghost in the desert. I wove a body from scattered lost pieces of bright, in the center there is a reflection, a stab in the eyes. I am a hole in the sun, I should no longer exist, but I persist as an acid burn eating a photograph, an eclipse. A rot that eats air, because there is nothing else left behind, like an inverted... Read More

Life According to Uncle Nick

The Nameless Collection *Spontaneous compositions of a country girl* by O.M. Photo by Caroline McCarty If you live in the country and you’re not a Drunk,  What do you do? First, he said, get a Palm Pilot.   Some Nephew though it would be a good idea To get Uncle Nick up to speed. But instead of planting tomatoes, Garlic and green beans, He began to make lists As he scheduled out his days.  He planned to practice violin, Finish the rockwall around his garden, Plant his... Read More

Leptoglossus occidentalis

by Caroline McCarty, Chief Agent of Creativity Western Conifer Seed Bug Often mistaken for a Box Elder Bug, the Western Conifer Seed Bug enjoys the seeds of douglas fir trees (pseudotsuga menziesii, pronounced soo-dot-soo-guh men-zee-see-eye!) and tends to seek wintertime shelter in man-made structures. This true bug is harmless. In fact, this bug is known to sit or stand in one place for hours on end. Easily entertained, I guess. This bug sets a great example for humans, or... Read More

Praying in Numbers

An Artist Profile of Daiguo Li – Part One by Kyle McAfee,  High Contrast Review Music Editor An underwater cave fills with the rhythmic groans of translucent-fleshed men fish. A malfunctioning band of robots pluck strings in and out of syncopation in a smoky Chinese bordello. Numbers, etched on tooth sized stones are arranged in bowls of moss and mud throughout a glowing forest. Just minutes away huge hills of dead mice, broken clocks and multi-colored money are scattered... Read More

Handsome Zombies of Gentrification

High Contrast interviews Jeffrey Whitted and Lucas Cantor, The Executive Producers of Handsome Zombies With production stills by Vanessa Espinal Handsome Zombies, written by Julia Holleman and High Contrast Editor Jesse Cameron Alick, is the first film production by the Brooklyn-based Subjective Theatre Company.  Subjective Theatre’s mission is to produce socially and politically relevant material that challenges audiences to become aware and responsible in their community. ... Read More

On Fear

by S. Ray with photos by Juliette Paige Viera I want to write as if this were the end of a very long story and be able to wrap things up nicely. I would speak in terms of how far I or we have come and what we have learned, and I would do my best to illicit a tone of melancholy, such as you might experience on the road alone after so many hours, soon to arrive. But I have written that way before, and while each time it is somewhat satisfying, like when you first read the last... Read More