2024 NATIONAL MEDAL
for Museum and Library Service Finalist
In "Juneteenth: In Search of Joy and Justice" Dr. Hendrickson will explore the traditions of Black joy and the pursuit of justice that have historically accompanied Juneteenth. This virtual talk will focus on Juneteenth's roots and its contemporary relevance both within and beyond Black culture in the United States, treating joy as a radical act of survival.
INSTRUCTIONS TO CONNECT
A bloody wallet lays on the banks of the river. A praying mantis takes something out of the wallet and dances, swaying, like a pendulum. Flashback 3 days ago; a lone Ronin walks into the post office to mail a letter to his love. For refusing to step on a tile of Christ his letter of love remains forever unsent...
“Do you think he really means it?”
“Yes,” she texted back.
The twins hid under a covered display table. A gunman had quietly slipped into their classroom locking the door. He ordered everyone against the windowed wall. Then he just stood there pointing the rifle. Minutes ticked away.
Finally, he said, “It’s too much.”
There was a loud blast. Screams. The gunman collapsed. Blood splattered onto the display cloth. All wemt eerily quiet.
A HONEYMOON ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA
""Can you call the front desk for the time"" my husband asked? "" You can speak French"", he added confidently. I willingly picked up the phone and said in my best high school accent, ""pardon et moi, quelle heure est- il, s'il vous plait""? The clerk answered me politely, but rather rapidly, and I thanked him, ""merci beaucoup"".
""Well darling"" my bridegroom asked, ""what time is it""? I answered in exasperation ""who can understand French""?
She sat down with a canvas and her palette. Dipping her paintbrush in the blue hue, she created the majestic sky! Blending some white shade in blue, she painted some gleaming strokes of water. Immersed in her creative zeal, she dipped her brush in earthen brown and glazed the canvas with the sand tint.
Her imagination knew no bounds, as she walked towards the alluring ocean, leaving her footprints on the sandy shore!
The boy looked down as he ran, wary of tripping on the uneven ground. Hurried yells echoed off the nearby walls. Various things fell from the sky and landed all around. The cacophony of raised voices were drowned out by a clatter of wreckages. The boy flinched to protect his head. His pace slowed as he gasped for air. He turned and saw a city that he no longer recognized. Pompeii was ash.
A Fun Day
It had been a fun day; half days often were. No math today, just a word game. She had finally beaten Jamie. But the ride home was strange. A lot of moms at the bus stops. We’re ten now, no need. Looking ahead, she saw her mom waiting with her brother. Not even in first grade had that happened. As she stepped off the bus, she heard her brother ask, “ Where is Uvalde?”
Join us and the Old Bridge Public Library for a virtual Q&A session with author Fabian Nicieza.
Fabian Nicieza is best known as a comic book writer for Marvel and DC, and as the co-creator of Deadpool. Fabian is a graduate of Madison Central High School and Rutgers University.
Untitled by Natania Birnbaum (a Short Story Contest entry)
The universe desired to know what became of the world it had given to humanity, so it took the shape of a mortal and walked upon the earth.
A rose, vivid as a nebula, caught the universe’s eye. In its excitement, it forgot that its mortal form could be injured, and pricked its finger on a thorn. A droplet of blood fell from the wound.
Lightyears away, a single star vanished.
A Fun Day by Neal Stoffers (a Short Story Contest entry)
It had been a fun day; half days often were. No math today, just a word game. She had finally beaten Jamie. But the ride home was strange. A lot of moms at the bus stops. We’re ten now, no need. Looking ahead, she saw her mom waiting with her brother. Not even in first grade had that happened. As she stepped off the bus, she heard her brother ask, “ Where is Uvalde?”