Better Than Starbucks
Poetry and Fiction Journal
. . . if you love diversity and creative writing in any and every form, then you’re in the right place . . .
February 2021
Vol VI No I
Published quarterly:
February, May, August,
and November.
Nominations
Our nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2020:
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​Free Verse: Fairy by John Bowden July 2020 Vol V No IV
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Formal Poetry: Love and Multiple Sclerosis by Tara Campbell January 2020 Vol V No I
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African Poetry: Great Divide by Aideloje Joshua January 2020 Vol V No I
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Poetry Translations: The Wind Now Pulls His Trousers Up by Christian Johann Heinrich Heine translated by
Peter Moltoni January 2020 Vol V No I
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​Fiction: The Last Time I Saw My Father by Andrea Marcusa January 2020 Vol V No I
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Creative Non-Fiction: Initiation by Yongsoo Park July 2020 Vol V No IV
Our Nominations for Best of the Net 2020:
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​Poetry:
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The Way the Lights Hit Bodega Alley by Puma Perl in March 2020 Vol V No II
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Landscape of Remembrance by Tobi Alfier in May 2020 Vol V No III
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The Last Speaker of Akkala Sami by Gail White in March 2020 Vol V No II
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Terminus by Jared Carter in May 2020 Vol V No III
sea:shore by Evan Guilford-Blake in November 2019 Vol IV No VI
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White Girl, black boy by Tendai Rinos Mwanaka in November 2019 Vol IV No VI
Fiction:
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The Pietà of Saint Blaise by Kevin P. Keating in March 2020 Vol V No II
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Carrion by Craig Dobson in May 2020 Vol V No III
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Creative Non-Fiction:
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Prayer Circles by Terry Barr in September 2019 Vol IV No V
Hardened by Alexandra Persad in May 2020 Vol V No III
Our Nominations for Best New Poets 2020:
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Sean Corbitt for Extinction January 2020 Vol V No I
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Emily Tsai for Lady Peony March 2020 Vol V No II
Our Nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2019:
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​​Poetry:
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Free Verse:
Boo Radley Will No Longer Protect Us by John Dorsey in September 2019 Vol IV No V
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Formal Poetry:
Nothing to Fear by Richard Wakefield July 2019 Vol IV No IV
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Experimental Poetry:
The History of Being Sche by Joan Retallack September 2019 Vol IV No V
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Poetry Translations:
ECCCH! by Jerome Betts March 2019 Vol IV No II
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​Fiction:
Goderich by Austin Gilmour July 2019 Vol IV No IV
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Creative Non-Fiction:
Solace by Evan Guilford-Blake May 2019 Vol IV No III
Our nominations for Best of the Net 2019:
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​Poetry:
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Guts and Poison by Steve Denehan May 2019 Vol IV No III
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Even As We Seize the Day by Anton Yakovlev November 2018 Vol III No IV
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Regime Change by Rae Armantrout November 2018 Vol III No IV
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Croix de Guerre by Jack D. Harvey May 2019 Vol IV No III
The Other Woman by Susan McLean January 2019 Vol IV No I
Papa by Al-Qassim Abdulsalam Uthman January 2019 Vol IV No I
Fiction:
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The Neighbors by Ursula Abdala November 2018 Vol III No IV
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The Doors of the Ambulance Closed by Josh Greenfield May 2019 Vol IV No III
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Creative Non-Fiction:
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The Hoover Boys Part III by Larry D. Giles September 2018 Vol III No V
A Slice of Ruby by Tobi Alfier November 2018 Vol III No VI
Our Nominations for Best New Poet 2019:
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Laura Hampton for My Mother's Back May 2018 Vol III No V
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Steve Denehan for In The Cutlery Drawer June 2018 Vol III No VI
Our nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2018:
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​Poetry:
Benadryl and Whiskey by John David Muth in January 2018 Vol III No I
My Mother's Back by Laura Hampton in May 2018 Vol III No V
Feet by Rhina P. Espaillat in May 2018 Vol III No V
Undivided by Richard R. Wakefield in April 2018 Vol III No IV
WALLETS AND WALLOWINGS by Pamelyn Casto in July 2018 Vol III No VII
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​Fiction:
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The Recipe Called For Vinegar by Charles Rafferty in May 2018 Vol III No V
Our Nominations for Best of the Net 2018:
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​Poetry:
Dancing in the Kitchen by Jill Sharon Kimmelman in October 2017 Vol II No X
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Compton 8 Mile by Tobi Alfier November 2017 Vol II No XI
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The Shearing (for Rob Wilmot) by Harry Owen in December 2017 Vol II No XII
Birth Control, 1975 by Janet Smith in December 2017 Vol II No XII
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New Orleans: the Degas House by Jared Carter in February 2018 Vol III No II
The Long Embrace by John Beaton in February 2018 Vol III No II
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Fiction:
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I Know I am Restless and Make Others So by Chuck Von Nordheim in March 2018 Vol III No III
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Winged Victory of Samothrace by Martin Porter in May 2018 Vol III No V
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Creative Non-Fiction:
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The Hoover Boys Part I by Larry D. Giles in April 2018 Vol III No IV
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Four Vignettes by Brian Michael Barbeito in May 2018 Vol III No V
Our Nominations for the Pushcart Prize 2017:
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​Poetry:
Stories of My Father’s Absence by Cynthia Grady in February 2017 Vol II No II
Dancing in the Kitchen by Jill Sharon Kimmelman in October 2017 Vol II No X
Polaroid of a Lady by Richard R. Wakefield in April 2017 Formal & Rhyming Poetry Vol II No V
Giraffe by Nikolai Gumilev translated by Don Mager in July 2017 Poetry Translations Vol II No VII
Reed on the Rivers by Ayo Oyeku in August 2017 International Poetry Vol II No VII
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​Fiction:
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Public Service by Mark Connelly in September 2017 Fiction Vol II No IX
Our Nominations for Best of the Net 2017:
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​Poetry:
Grease Poet by Richard King Perkins II in November 2016 Vol I No V
The Swimming Pool by Tabitha Vohn in December 2016 Vol I No VI
I'll Wait by DE Navarro in January 2017 Vol II No I
Falling for the Invisible Woman by Jim Zola in March 2017 Vol II No III
Walk by Stephen Mead in June 2017 Vol II No VI
Killing a Coho by John Beaton in June 2017 Vol II No VI
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Fiction:
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The Garters by Michael D. Durkota in December 2016 Vol I No VI
Venus in all Four Corners by Tobi Alfier in March 2017 Vol II No III
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Vinyl by ​Jace Grandinetti on Unsplash