
Current Volume: Volume 24 (2023)
Editor's Note
“Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.”
– Malorie Blackman
Thank you for taking the time to read the 24th edition of the Bryant Literary Review. As Student Editors, we have enjoyed reading fiction and creative nonfiction from around the world. The stories featured in this year’s BLR provide windows into the experiences of people, both fictional and real, navigating unique challenges and finding ways to survive. Engaging with these stories is a form of connecting with people and understanding different perspectives. The world has been changing dramatically over the past few years and we have shared collective struggles. While many prominent voices seek to divide us, we
believe it is most important, especially now, to empathize with others. Reading these stories is a practice in that essential skill of empathy as readers confront subject matter that deals with our connectedness as humans. We would like to take a moment to express our gratitude to those who submitted their work, as our publication would not be possible without this year’s group of talented writers. We would like to thank Professor Thomas Roach who has been one of our biggest
supporters throughout our college careers. His energy and passion will continue to motivate and inspire us after we say goodbye to Bryant University. In addition, we send thanks to Poetry Editor Eric Paul and Student Poetry Editors Daniel Mann and Madalyn Richardson.
They too have committed significant time and effort to this edition, and we have enjoyed working alongside them. This year’s BLR is the last edition the four Student Editors will work on because we will graduate in May 2023. We sincerely appreciate that you, the reader,
are taking the time to engage with the stories and poems we have chosen to share. We hope that reading this selection is, for you, the “exercise in empathy” that it was for us.
Megan Polun, Student Fiction Editor, Bryant University ‘23
Grace O’Donnell, Student Fiction Editor, Bryant University ‘23
Title Page
Editors' Note
Contributors
Fiction
We Must Not Disturb the Peace
Nicole Cifani Lehmann-Haupt
Heart of a Monster
Gabriella King
Youth in Asia
E.H. Jacobs
Return to the Country of the Crime
Dan Grossman
Poetry
Ash Spring
Heather Lang-Cassera
Dream No. 1538
David Konitzer
Scattering
David Konitzer
Waking to an Ocean on Fire
Heather Lang-Cassera
Bell's Vireo
Heather Lang-Cassera
Hunger of Kites
Daniel Edward Moore
Seasonal Economy
Zachary Lipez
Waterproof
Elizabeth Taryn Mason
A Mid-September Late Afternoon at Trident
Korkut Onaran
The Past is Everything
Fran Schumer
Sometimes, Always, Never
Kharan Badri
Gin Rummies
E.M. Schorb
Tarantula Season
Eric DePriester
The Man Steps Into the Weightless Rain
Reid Bateh
The Man Steps Into the Weightless Rain
Reid Bateh
The Man Steps Into the Weightless Rain
Reid Bateh
Creative Nonfiction
Postcards from the Stage
Michael Cannistraci

Editors
- Editor
- Tom Roach
- Poetry Editor
- Eric Paul
- Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Editor
- Tom Roach
- Student Fiction Editors
- Grace O'Donnell, Megan Polun
- Student Poetry Editors
- Daniel Mann, Madalyn Richardson
- Managing Editors
- Rebecca Marcus, Adrianna Minacapilli
Additional Information
Design & Layout
Rebecca Chandler
beccachandler67@gmail.com
Cover Art
Alex Fluegel