Melinda Clemmons

Straight to the Heart

For reasons perhaps best not to contemplate, flash fiction—complete stories told (or telegraphed) in just a few lines—is one of the fastest growing literary genres today. For our bi-annual writing contest issue, we asked local writers for their takes on the rapid-fire form.

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The Ledger

Home for the holidays in Illinois, a family uncovers a relative’s diligent accounting of every penny spent from 1877 to 1900, offering up a glimpse of his daily life.

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HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The 1995 film Home for the Holidays, starring Holly Hunter, about a comedic (both dark and light) trip back home for Thanksgiving, inspired our essay roundup. Eight essayists tell stories from a child’s eye to the mind’s eye, from poignant family lore to lighter fare. Each of these literary lights takes us into the season with moving, funny, irreverent moments in time.

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Faces of the East Bay

In the Philanthropic Swim

In the Philanthropic Swim

Rockridge residents John Bliss and Kim Thompson may live far removed the gritty flats of East and West Oakland. But this philanthropic couple see themselves as one with the citizens of Oakland, particularly those who are struggling financially, and they’re leading a campaign to get their “financially blessed” peers to invest in the community like they have by funding city programs to teach kids how to swim.