Welcome, welcome, to our latest issue of Defenestration, typically known as the “December Issue” but also known as the “Winter Issue” or “Defenestationmas.” The weather outside is changing, and then changing again, and then changing back into the thing it had originally changed into, confusing everyone and making their noses drip like cartoon faucets. But never fear! Defenestration is here to help keep the world company in these dark and sometime chilly times.
I’ve got this space to editorialize about whatever the heck I feel like talking about. Usually I keep it short because Eileen makes me, but this time around I want to address something on my mind. Mainly, what’s the deal with people getting suddenly embarrassed about stuff they’ve written?
We’ve gotten a bunch of requests this year from past contributors who want their content removed or their names changed because they’re suddenly worried that a potential employer or academic institution is going to Google their name and–GASP–Defenestration is going to show up! Maaaaaaan I hope it does show up. Defenestration is awesome. Whatever you submitted to us is probably awesome, too, which is why we published it in the first place! The fact that people want to hide the fact that they’re hilarious is really depressing. Perhaps this is the darkest timeline. But I hope not. I hope a sense of humor is still something people look for in potential job/college applicants.
Anyway…
This month we open with a story that takes place during Christmas Eve and then end it all with a story by a gentleman names Klaus. That’s as far as we’re taking the holiday theme; the rest of the issue includes Pac-Man, Muppets, and other weird stuff, including a story called, appropriately enough, “Weird Stuff.” We hope you enjoy.
And because this is always the case, with a new issue comes the reopening of the inbox to short story and poetry submissions. Send your best!
—Andrew Kaye, Editor-in-Chief
Poetry:
Mitch Frye, “Inky, Blinky: A Pac-Man Villanelle”
Liz Sellier, “A is for Addiction”
Jared De Vore, “A Poem About Desolation”
Benjamin J. Chase, “To My Dear and Loving Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar”
Short Stories:
Hayley Rosenfield, “Sad Acorn Review”
Daniel Galef, “Anabasis”
Adam Millard, “Caged In”
Kim Gibson, “Restroom”
John Abernathy, “Weird Stuff”
Brooke Reynolds, “Knick Knack Wars”
Klaus Nannestad, “Office Cleaning”
Downloadable Copy: