AS A THANK YOU for waiting so patiently for publication in Solstice: A Winter Anthology, we offered all the contributors there the opportunity to “take over” Instant Noodles. Not all of them were able to have something ready to go on such short notice, but we’re really grateful to the following authors who were:
AAKAASH
Buffy Aakaash grew up around hills and lakes in New Jersey west of New York City. He has lived as a queer man in both big cities and small remote towns throughout the US since then —backwoods Tennessee, Seattle, New York, San Francisco, high desert New Mexico, not in that order, but finally New England. His poetry has been published in The Poet Magazine, Iris Literary Journal, The Write Launch, Main Street Rag, The Raven’s Perch, Dissonance Magazine, Oberon, Sweety Cat Press, and others.
Untangling the Knots, his chapbook of “how to” poems, has been published by Kelsay Books in December of 2022.
With years of experience living in intentional communities, a community builder at heart, he recently settled into life in the Green Mountains of Central Vermont, with his dear canine companion, Bodhi.
His published work can be viewed at his website.
APRILL
Lynn Aprill is an award-winning poet and educator whose work has appeared recently or is forthcoming in Creative Wisconsin magazine, Copperfield Review Quarterly, Bramble, WinglessDreamer, Quartet Journal, Willows Wept Review, Ekphrastic Review and others. A Wisconsin native, she received a BA in English from UW-Eau Claire and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from UW-Milwaukee. Her poem “Love” was recently selected as the 3rd place winner in the 73rd annual Jade Ring Writing Contest of the Wisconsin Writers Association. Channeling Matriarchs, her first chapbook with Finishing Line Press, was published in August 2021. She resides with her husband and various dogs on 40 acres in Northeast Wisconsin. Find her work here.
BERN
Alan Bern is a retired children’s librarian and cofounder with artist/printer Robert Woods of the fine press/publisher Lines & Faces. Alan has a hybrid (poetry, prose, and photos) fictionalized memoir forthcoming from UNCOLLECTED PRESS and is the author of three books of poetry. He has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, and recent awards include: Honorable Mention for Free Verse in SouthWest Writers Annual Writing Contest, A Diversity of Expression (2022); Honorable Mention for Littoral Press Poetry Prize (2021); Flash Fiction Finalist for Ekphrastic Sex (2021); First Runner-up for Raw Art Review’s Mirabai Prize for Poetry (2020); a Medal from SouthWest Writers for a WWII story set in Assisi (2019). Recent and upcoming writing and photo work: HAUNTED WATERS PRESS, Aletheia Literary Quarterly, CERASUS, Feral, The Hyacinth Review, REUNION: The Dallas Review, and Mercurius. Alan performs with dancer/choreographer Lucinda Weaver as PACES: dance and poetry fit to the space and with musicians from Composing Together.
CLAYPOOL
Maggie Claypool grew up in Missouri and then made Colorado her home for 20 years as she traveled the country as a consultant. She now lives in the First State (Delaware) with her two rescue dogs, Fancy and Chico. In her stories she attempts to strike a resonant chord of emotion in the reader. Her short stories have appeared in Instant Noodles Volume 1 Issue 3 (“The Gravy Boat”), Spillwords (“Watch Me”), FromOneLine Volume 3 (Well It’s Done Now), Close to the Bone (“Relative Secrets”), Instant Noodles Volume 2, Issue 1 (“Miss Luna’s Visit”), and The Dark City Volume 8 Issue 1 (“The Motive”). She also regularly includes brief fiction in her blog, and you can find her on Twitter.
DORESKI
William Doreski lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He has taught at several colleges and universities. His most recent book of poetry is Dogs Don’t Care (2022). His essays, poetry, fiction, and reviews have appeared in various journals.
DECICCO
Kim DeCicco was born and raised in New York, where she earned a degree in history and a master’s in museum studies. After moving to Delaware in 2004, she followed her dream of learning the craft of writing and was honored to receive the 2020 Delaware Division of the Arts Fellowship for Emerging Artist in Fiction. Since then, she has gone on to publish stories in the Rehoboth Beach Reads series (Beach Secrets and Beach Dreams) and in the Halloween Party ’21 anthology from Devil’s Party Press. When not writing, Kim spends her time peddling antiques and spoiling her ginger cat, Phoenix.
DOYLE
Anthony Doyle was born and raised in Ireland, but resident in Brazil since 2000, where he works as a translator of fiction and nonfiction from Portuguese. He is the author of a children’s book, O Lago Secou, and the novel Hibernaculum, to be published by Out Of This World Press in 2023. His short stories “Sam Bakki” and “Shark Fishing” were published in the summer 2021 issue of Instant Noodles, and “Shark Fishing” was a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. Translated works include the novel There Were Many Horses, by Luiz Ruffato, and the nonfiction books Rio de Janeiro: Extreme City, by Luiz Eduardo Soares, and Ideas to Postpone the End of the World, by indigenous leader Ailton Krenak. Find out more here.
FITZGERALD
Christian Fitzgerald writes mostly science-fiction stories from the coast of North Carolina. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a degree in Film Scoring, and has written music for an iPad app version of Jamie Lee Curtis’s children’s book, Where Do Balloons Go?, as well as the sitcom pilot Brooklyn Shakara, starring Gbenga Akkinagbe of The Wire. When he is not writing stories, he’s using his film scoring degree to write songs on his acoustic guitar for his wife and three sons. They mostly love it. You can visit him online.
FITZGERALD
Jane Fitzgerald is a retired history teacher and poet. She writes with clarity, compassion and insight. Jane has been passionate about poetry for over thirty years since she studied with David Ignatow at Columbia University where she earned a MA Degree. She has written four books including, Notes From the Undaunted, which can be found on Amazon. Her poetry has been featured in: Your Daily Poem, Open Door Magazine, Dreamers Creative Writing, Sad Girls Club, Quillkeepers Press, Isele Magazine, and more. Jane is a repeat poet for the Devil’s Party Press. Jane hopes that others will find comfort and a sense of togetherness through her poetry. She grew up near New York City, but now lives in the sunny, diverse state of Florida. Find more of Fitzgerald’s poetry, and follow her.
FLEMING
Robert Fleming lives in Lewes, DE. Published in United States, Canada, England, Ireland, and Australia. Member of the Rehoboth Beach and Horror Writer’s Association. Wins: 2022 San Gabriel Valley CA-1 poem, 2021 Best of Mad Swirl poetry; Nominations: 2 Pushcart Prizes and Best of the Net. Follow Robert.
FULCHER
R. David Fulcher is an author of horror, science fiction, fantasy, and poetry. Major literary influences include H.P. Lovecraft, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allen Poe, Fritz Lieber, and Stephen King. Fulcher’s first novel, a historical drama set in World War II,Trains to Nowhere, and his second novel, a collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories, Blood Spiders and Dark Moon, are both available from Authorhouse and Amazon. Fulcher’s work has appeared in numerous small press publications including Lovecraft’s Mystery Magazine, Black Satellite, The Martian Wave, Burning Sky, Shadowlands, Twilight Showcase, Heliocentric Net, Gateways, Weird Times, Freaky Frights and the anthologies Dimensions and Silken Ropes. Fulcher’s work can also be found in the DPP collection Halloween Party 2019, and the Gravelight Press Collection Halloween Party ’21. A passion for the written word has also inspired Fulcher to edit and publish the literary magazine, Samsara, which has showcased writers and poets for over a decade. Fulcher resides in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife Lisa, and their rambunctious cats. Follow David.
GOLLADAY
Morgan Golladay has been intrigued with words all her life. Her poetry reflects this, and she uses illusion and allusion in her writing. Much of her work focuses on her native Shenandoah Valley, as well as coastal Delaware. Morgan says that poetry originated as an oral form, and she thinks it works best when it is heard. To that end it must be concise, simple, and tight. The poet bears the responsibility to speak old truths in new ways, to encourage the reader/listener to consider ideas from a different point of view. To do this the poet must be vulnerable, must allow their inner thoughts and fears and secrets to surface. This is particularly difficult in a society that doesn’t share its hurts, its fears, its pain. And that poetry, of love, loss, sadness, fear, and joy binds us together in our humanity and give us opportunities to grow.
Morgan has worked with non-profits as a volunteer and staff member, been a librarian, a blood donor recruiter, and a customer service and purchasing agent for a residential water-well wholesaler. Her watercolor and acrylic-collage paintings have won awards, and she is a member of the Mispillion Art League in Milford, DE, where she currently lives. An emerging poet, her work has been published in the Broadkill Review, Halloween Party ’21, and Instant Noodles. She has published short stories in HP-21 and Instant Noodles, and is currently editing her first novel. Follow Morgan, and here too.
JAMES
Colin James has a couple of chapbooks of poetry published. Dreams Of The Really Annoying from Writing Knights Press and A Thoroughness Not Deprived of Absurdity from Piski’s Porch Press, and a book of poems, Resisting Probability, from Sagging Meniscus Press.
PERCIK
Annie Percik lives in London, writing novels and short stories, whilst working as a freelance editor. She writes a blog about writing on her website, which is where all her current publications are listed, including her novels, The Defiant Spark and A Spectrum of Heroes. You can also find information there about the media review podcast she co-hosts, and the photo-story blog recording the adventures of her teddy bear who is much more popular online than she is.
ROMEO
Mary Beth Romeo gets strange in the wee hours of morning as she method acts the amnesiac gods of her queer fantasy manuscript in between her career as a therapeutic personal chef, and maintaining the title of “King Baby’s FUN mamma.” Writing has always been “the one that got away” for MB, and she has finally reconnected with that first true love. But life has not been a total bust for creative flings. MB has a charming wife that likes to quote her scrapped dialogue, a masters degree in Urban Affairs, 15 years served in social justice and community organizing, and past side hustles in illustration, ethically-questionable academic paper writing, and creative portrait photography. As the middle of 7 children from a poor-class NY family, where all parents tended toward crazy, MB gets much of her inspiration and dark humor from her chaotic upbringing and six quirky sibs. Oh. And when she talks about herself in the third person, it’s always MB–but she digs the irony of her name on a girl who looks like a boy. Follow Mary Beth.
VALENTINO
Katharine Valentino worked for 30 years at menial jobs before acquiring a BA degree—summa cum laude!—from Indiana University in Bloomington. For the next 20 years, she worked at slightly more interesting jobs and occasionally was even allowed to write some technical thing or another. She retired from drudgery in 2018 and moved to rural Oregon where she now takes long walks with her canine companion, Silly Lilly; writes about political and social issues on Medium, and works on her own life stories. Follow her.
WATTS
Virginia Watts is the author of poetry and stories found in CRAFT, The Florida Review, Two Thirds North, Pithead Chapel, Permafrost Magazine, Broadkill Review among others. Her poetry chapbooks are available from Moonstone Press. She has been nominated three times for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. A short story collection is upcoming from The Devil’s Party Press. Follow her.
AND IF YOU ENJOYED THIS WRITING just imagine what you’ll find in Solstice: A Winter Anthology! Buy a copy today!