Welcome to issue 25 of ESC! Magazine.

Angela Mankiewicz's short, "Laura Hanson's 1990" concludes this issue. Also in this issue is some great new short fiction from Deborah Caslav Covino, Robert Mayette, Gary Beck (making his second appearance in ESC!), and reader favorite Bob Potocki.

Our poetry selections this issue include Coffee House to Go co-host, LB Sedlacek as well as Kellie Powell, Mike Kriesel, Norman J. Olson, Christine Purcell, Mark Wisniewski, William Peacock and long-time contributor to these pages, t. kilgore splake.

The cover, "Untitled", flows from the pen of Norman J. Olson and Paul Tucker is back with another installment of his series, "Vex".

In our Reading Lounge, Poetry Editor Charles Ries has two new chapbook reviews for your reading pleasure as well as an editorial, "Is writing trying to kill me?"

By purchasing the Premium Printed Edition or buying something from our ESC!Mag Gear online store, ESC! Magazine can continue to publish aspiring Writers and Artists for years to come.

Table of Contents

ARTWORK

Cover: Untitled
Norman J Olson

Vex: The Color of Baseball
Paul Tucker

FICTION

My Daughter, the Tyrant
Gary Beck

Hippity-Hop
Deborah Caslav Covino

Laura Hanson's 1990
Angela Mankiewicz

Prosaic, Master Sleuth
Robert Mayette

Blink
Bob Potocki

& - POETRY

This Far Out
Mike Kriesel

in the food court
Norman J. Olson

Insult
William Peacock

Origins
Kellie Powell

Why You Should Stop and Pray for Roadkill
Christine Purcell

The Farmer's Glaze
LB Sedlacek

my nirvana
misty
t. kilgore splake

Should I?
Mark Wisniewski

THE READING LOUNGE

CHAPBOOK REVIEWS by Charles Ries

Is Writing Trying to Kill Me? by Charles Ries