I knocked on the door, which was ajar, and waited. This was never going to be an impulsive act. Shuffling steps preceded its opening moments later. They belonged to an old man, the once handsome face lined, craggy. He was thin, apart from a paunch that drooped over the belt of his expensive trousers. “Dr. Nicholls?” “Yes?” “I’m Grace. Grace McKay.”

Ode to Purity Culture Bless the kids who couldn’t sleep over at their unmarried aunt’s house because she was living in sin. Bless the aunt and uncle.Bless the fancy promise rings and the parents wh…

Hi! We're supporting Angels Gate Cultural Center this year for Long Beach Gives. Please join us in donating money to this incredible organization in the Long Beach area.Charlie serves on the board of ...

Making the Fall over You Did you lose consciousness?       i don’t remember all that we said when we first met,       but i know the evening at that bar was full of       long island ice teas till they closed.       i remember you told me it was funny the way       my tongue hits the back of my teeth       before gagging on what i say. Have you vomited?       i try to take my antidepressants every day, but lately       i have been wondering if they have fixed anything in my brain,       so i just cheek them every morning, hoping whatever dissolves…

Hi! We're supporting Angels Gate Cultural Center this year for Long Beach Gives. Please join us in donating money to this incredible organization in the Long Beach area.Charlie serves on the board of ...

Mackie, the designer who died Monday at 87, said Barbie was his favorite client because she didn’t complain if he accidentally stuck a pin in her.

Duncan Sheik, who earned a Grammy nomination for his ubiquitous 1990s hit "Barely Breathing" and won a Tony Award for composing the music for "Spring Awakening," died Thursday.

Adieu I will not be cleaning your poolwhile you’re away for forty dayslaughing, strolling along the Seine.What a puzzle that you can flyto Paris but not pay for help. A people pleaser and doormatno more, I am changing my ways.Yet, you’ll ask again. And again.But no, old friend, I won’t comply,especially not when you yell. Enjoy the mirrors at Versailles.I give you to God, mademoiselle. Shalimar Affectations can be dangerous.      ——Gertrude Stein It was Aunt Helmi’s signature scent: Heady florals flow into…

from Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres by Charles Jensen Nonfiction   2012 I’m already drunk when he takes me by the arm and says hello. We’re at a bar; it’s crowded. Men in twos and threes f...

Movies and memory intersect in this compelling and unconventional memoir from queer writer, film aficionado, and Jeopardy! contestant Charles Jensen. Splice of Life follows Jensen from his upbringing ...

The final Flash 405 contest of 2026 is almost here, and we’re excited to share that another member of the Exposition Review fam is joining the ranks of our guest judges!  Former contributor Charles Je...

Q: What about the anger that rises so easily inside you? A: I’m going to therapy again. But it takes time to establish a relationship. To build a trust. To talk about the parts of me I don’t want to talk about. The angry parts. So I’m writing it down. Not all of it. Some of it. A part of it. How trustworthy is the narrator? I’ve been angry a really long time. As if I was born with a deep-rooted anger. Or maybe a revenge? Perhaps a collective trauma? When we talk about queer people, we so often hear stories of resilience, strength, survival.

PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing Mentorship Program has paired incarcerated writers with skilled writing mentors in prisons all over the U.S. for nearly 50 years.