IN THE NIGHT COUNT THE STARS

Stories and images from corners of the world both odd and familiar are represented in this unique anthology, all inspired by an exotic handful of words from Jack Micheline’s magnificent poem Tale on a Slow Moving Freight (1988). Iran, Brooklyn, Germany, Italy, New York, France, England, Africa, Ohio, California and St. Petersburg come together in this e-book that defies description, offering 121 pages that spin a luminous web across our fractured, compartmentalized world.

 

The stories and images thrive independently, each defining “in the night count the stars” in their own way. In addition to well-crafted short stories and a stunning photo essay of rural Russia, there is a portentous restaurant receipt; a love letter; a mantra; a redacted document; a judicial order; a crime scene photograph. Many of the contributors hail from surprising origins – a court clerk, an oral surgeon, an expat, an assisted living worker and an Italian forest worker alongside well-established authors and artists, all juxtaposed with a celebration of their rough edges. Their differences deliver rare insights, often a revelation.

 

A word that originates from ancient Greece, anthology literally means “flower gathering.” That may well describe what our editors have to offer curious readers – a sincere bouquet of irresistible wildflowers - something a cantankerous beat poet like Micheline would passionately approve of.

“The sheer range and diversity of contributors and works in this collection infuse it with a certain freshness and unique flavor that is difficult to recapture. Kudos to the editor, Marco North, for the smooth transition between the various pieces.”