Donna Talarico

The Medium by Nathan Evans

blurry image of heads facing a theatre stage

The posters in the foyer of the theatre advertise the show as “An Evening With Psychic Medium Tony Stockwell.” My first reaction is to wonder what other kinds of mediums there are, and how interesting an evening it would be if you were watching one who didn’t even pretend to be psychic.

The Writing Life: How I Joined the Working Class & Yet Also Maintained My Sanity and Lofty Literary Goals; or How Following Virginia Woolf’s Instructions Is Tricky by Hilary Meyerson

hilary meyerson

A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction. – Virginia Woolf — Women writers just love old Ginny. We quote her chestnut about the ‘room of one’s own’ at the drop of a pen. The quote isn’t limited to fiction, but writing in general. Usually, it’s centered around the “room” part – the need for a physical space

Matriarch by Alyson Bannister

granmotherly woman hugging young child with ponytail

My mother reads aloud from a book she just purchased, a sort of comedic take on the customs, sayings and mannerisms of Southern women. At least I hope it was a comedic effort.

Prompts: Oh. My. God. What is that smell?

Everyone can get involved with Hippocampus Magazine with {prompts}! About each month, we’ll post a new creative nonfiction prompt, inspired by a real-life event. Fact is stranger than fiction–if we experience something unbelievable, others must have a similar story. From January 2011 “Oh. My. God. What is that smell?” Join the fun with our current…

Review: Anthropologies: A Family Memoir by Beth Alvarado

“My mother and I are sitting in the small dining room of her town-house; we are sitting at the table she’s had since I was a girl, but I am nearly fifty.” Thus begins Beth Alvarado’s memoir Anthropologies: A Family Memoir. This first sentence sets the tone and style of the book—clear pictures and underlying emotions presented in brevity and concise language that reads like poetry.

The Piano Sale by Lucille Rains

Antique piano close up

It was unusual for anyone to shop for a piano on a Friday night, much less expect to have it delivered and tuned that same night, but this was a special occasion. Istvan was getting married over the weekend and he wanted to surprise his bride, Katalin.

March 2012: Editor’s Notes

donna talarico's feet wearing socks that say I heart being awesome

Happy March! It’s been unseasonably warm in my neck of the woods this winter. And I’m not complaining. It’s not spring yet, but it sure feels like it. Just yesterday at my day job, at Elizabethtown College, I snapped a picture of an art class having class outside. As I write this, I am procrastinating…