Introducing Issue #19 ~ Spring 2025

Dear Lit Mag Lovers and Fellow Egg Hunters, 

Spring has sprung here in Omaha and, after the last few snow doozies, we (and the trees) are ready. We’re ready for green to take over everything. We’re ready for brilliant pops of yellow, purple, and white to grace every landscape. And we are more than ready to share and celebrate our 5th spring issue!

That’s right, TGLR is officially in its 5th year, and that feels pretty fantastic. Five years of reading and collaboration, learning and growth, and five years of publishing amazing work. This issue is no exception. It’s the picture-perfect example of what we’re all about. 

Yes, friends, today is the day! The big reveal of Issue #19. We’re delighted to introduce the pieces and their creators, and to celebrate this bountiful collection…

In the short creative nonfiction space, we’re honored to feature two pieces centered around one of the most difficult circumstances any person will face in their lifetime: the loss of a parent. 

“You Come Now You Leave Now” by Ramona Emerson deftly captures who her father was as an individual by exploring both old and new memories. As these are weaved together seamlessly, they also reveal what she has learned about herself and about grief. From vertiginous to euphoric, she shows grief’s many manifestations and how it “rearranges us.” 

Siobhan Ring’s essay, “Space / Time,” begins with an unexpected trip across the country and continues through each phase of her journey as she attempts to be with, and care for, her dying mother during the pandemic. Ring pulls from her family history to tether two stories that show that no matter the time or the space, losing a family member truly means, “nothing will ever be the same.” 

In flash creative nonfiction, Allison Hughes explores a different kind of pain in her essay “I Am a Body Lying in the Grass.” It’s the loss of love and hope for a budding relationship that she brings to light in this brief, poignant piece. 

Our second essay in this genre isn’t just a refreshing take on body image, but a commentary on how women are expected to feel shame or hide their shapely figures. “I like when my ass hangs out of my shorts” by Rose Marie Torres leads with sass and confidence and we love it! 

In flash fiction we’ve got three unique stories that are sure to elicit emotional reactions. “The Next Empty Cup” by Myna Chang, might make you smile through the sadness. “Flying Fish” by Corinne Harrison is likely to leave you shaking your head and then nodding in agreement with what isn’t said. And we challenge you to take a crack at the “Taco Bell Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire” by Susan L. Lin and not laugh or see yourself in the questions. Bonus points if you can correctly calculate the answer to question 15, in “Section IV: The “Are You a Robot?” Math Section.” 

Two “must read” pieces for this issue are the short fiction stories which are different in just about every way except for their superb writing and surprise endings. 

“Tbilisi” by Sara Maria Hasbun is sharp, interesting story that is relevant to present day social and political dilemmas. Tension in this piece builds with each scene and interaction as it speeds toward a conclusion you won’t see coming. 

By contrast Marilee Dahlman’s piece, “Mall Goddess,” transports the reader back to the late 80’s and early 90’s when shopping mall culture in the Midwest was at its peak. She captures the vibe and downfall of this era perfectly as the story of Kylie’s lifelong love/obsession for Justin unfolds. 

In our last release we mentioned that it’s becoming more of a challenge with each issue to make decisions because we have so much excellent work coming our way. This remains true with this issue so instead of bringing you five or six, we’ve got eight poems by these seven authors: Chris Lisieski, Ezra Fox, Pamilerin Jacob, Keira Deer, Alicia Elkort, Alex Dodt, and Katharine Jager. Each poem is a heavy hitter worth spending time with. 

Rounding out the issue, there’s a full complement of artwork. We’re pleased to showcase “Natural Hue” by Sarah Kohrs on the cover and for the first time, several of the artwork pieces featured in the issue were provided by writer featured in a previous issue, Ellen June Wright. Also included are pieces by Kim McNealy Sosin, Sholanke Boluwatife Emmanuel, Ferris Jones, Erin Song, Pieter Janaldo, Mostafa Meraji, Albert Stoynov, Juan Burgos, Raymond Kotewicz, and Luke Chesser. More about each artist and their work is available on the artwork page. And the entire issue is also available in full-spread PDF format to read, download, or print and save forever. 

With that, we are ready for Issue #19 ~ Spring 2025 to run wild all over the interwebs! Thank you for visiting, reading, supporting independent journals, and believing in the arts!

Cheers to Strawberries ‘n’ Whiped Cream,
~Shyla, Tacheny, and All of The Good Life Review Team

Issue #19 Editorial Team: Cat Dixon, Michelle Battle, Cid Galicia, Terry Belew, Stepha Vesper, Tana Buoy, Patrick O’Dell, Tacheny Perry, Ashley Espinoza, M.A. Boswell, David Mainelli, Ciara Hoff, Annie Barker, Debra Rose Brillati, Erin Challenor, and Shyla Shehan

Issue #19 Readers: Kim Louise, Amy Crawford, Jamie Wendt, Jill Veltkamp, Toni Allen, Zach Vesper, Madeline Torbenson, Julie Labuszewski, Amanda DeMel, Arianna Ashby, Ashley DeVrieze, and Miranda Jansen. 

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