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Articles, Essays & videos, Plus Historical Fiction
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By Miranda Dennis  The Odyssey makes for good pandemic reading, in the winsome lonely hours trapped inside increasingly small apartments and homes. And so does Jeanne Larsen’s What Penelope Chooses. Full disclosure: Jeanne Larsen was my undergraduate and thesis advisor at Hollins University, where I learned from her that the best way to read a poem is to read it once, and then read it again. I recommend this tactic especially, taking the time to read aloud on the second try and hear the oral tradition converted into language that slaps like rap, that feels both breathless and textured, glib and somber. If you’re a bit more utilitarian, this tactic also works for work emails you hope to perfect before you send to a client or a Cyclops.
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By Alex Carrigan CW: This review discusses suicide and suicide-related matters. Please read with caution.  You never forget your first brush with death. Whether it's the loss of a childhood pet or a member of your family, the entire process remains with you for life. You think about every interaction, any detail about the person that comes to mind, and even though time passes, its easy to dig up those emotions. It's especially more complicated if the loss was from someone who took their own life, as there is more to contemplate and moving on becomes more difficult and harder to accept.
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By The Editors  Oh, we know that gloomy winter days are ahead, so what better time than to snuggle up and listen to new plays and stories? There are plenty of podcasts, radio play series, and audiobooks out there, but we thought we'd recommend a new audio theater experience with a Quail Bell connection (keep reading to find out exactly what that is.) We caught up with India Stachyra, founder of Soundscape Theater in New York City, to find out more about this mastermind, wrangler, and storyteller, as well as as the roster of plays she's bringing to ears everywhere. Here's our Q&A with her:
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By now, you probably know that Joe Biden has secured the presidency for the next four years. We also elected the very first female VP (and the first Black and South Asian one, too!) and let me tell you, that is cool to see. Like, unbelievably cool.
But the important thing is to not forget why we fought back in the first place: a place where every single American and future American can be free. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
By Alex Carrigan  It's always terrifying to think about what you might not know about your family and home. The idea that dangerous things could have been hidden from you, or that there's something deep within your genetic build that could come back to harm you has been the stuff of horror tales for decades. We all know tales about people moving into family and/or centuries-old properties and learning about the dark history that has stained the historical setting. The challenge comes from finding new ways to put a spin on these tales.
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Edited by Melissa Schack  Deborah Jang is a poet and artist who at 70 years old has published Float True, a book of poetry sharing her lifelong experiences. Based in Denver, Colorado and Oceanside, California, her poems couldn’t be more timely with their insight into racism, immigration, and climate change.
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Nuclear ReactionsBy Alex Carrigan  It's hard to believe that 3/4 of a century ago, the nuclear age began with the first atomic bombs being tested and dropped on two Japanese cities. The research and development of this field has led to extreme changes in global politics, necessitating plenty of legislation and regulations to ensure the entire world isn't wiped out in nuclear war. While we know a lot about nuclear weapons and their devastating effects, it's fascinating to think about how little we know about the people behind them.
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 Credit: Pikist.com After a long day, everyone loves to snuggle on their sofa and relax. Your living room is a place to gather with friends and family, but it can also be a private sanctuary when you live alone or when no one else is around. This is why it’s good to have a living room that feels inviting and warm, especially on those cold, winter nights. If you want to make your living room feel cozier, here are a few steps you could take to help it become a tranquil hideaway:
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By The Editors  The COVID-19 Pandemic has been a struggle for artists of all types, from nationally recognized productions to local theatre groups. One such group, The Merry Beggars, is a Catholic non-profit theatre organization that focuses on “stories that heal our culture by revealing the dignity of the human person.” They host acting training, run a blog where professionals can give advice and share stories, and run different workshops.
They were founded by Peter Atkinson, a graduate of Columbia University’s M.F.A program. An actor, writer, and magician, Atkinson has played a variety of roles over the course of his years in school and the professional world, from classical Shakespearean parts to much more modern roles. Quail Bell Magazine recently spoke to Peter Atkinson about The Merry Beggars and how the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected the arts. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
By The Editors  There's nothing like a live performance, as we're woefully aware of during the COVID-19 pandemic. But The Quail Bell Crew did get a brief taste of the olden days at the Long Island Theatre Collective's Fall Fest. This outdoor, socially distanced Sept. 25-26 event featured small casts and enforced limited entry to a parking lot in Bethpage, New York. Our founder Christine Sloan Stoddard and long-time contributor Ben Nardolilli (most recently the writer/narrator of the Quail Bell Productions film Drunken History) appeared in a one-act play at the festival. That play was Meagan J. Meehan's "A Soul to Squeeze," a comedy about an angel and devil fighting for the soul of a gluttonous festival-goer. Stoddard played the Angel, Donna Morales (who you might recognize from Quail Bell Production's "Cyber Cinderella") played the Devil, and Nardolilli played the Soul. And we have photographic evidence that this play did indeed take place:
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September 2020
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