Today marks a first in my series of literary journal and genre magazine reviews — I actually know someone who was published in the latest edition of this journal.
Founded in 2005, Halfway Down the Stairs is an independent literary ezine which publishes four issues a year.
What They Say About Themselves: “Halfway Down the Stairs publishes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and book reviews. New issues are published quarterly (March, June, September, and December), and each issue is themed. We publish primarily literary and mainstream work, but accept work in most genres, with children’s literature and erotica as the exceptions.”
Issue Reviewed: June 2021
Genre: Literary realism
One Story I’ll Remember Not to Forget: “Whydunit,” by Susan Hatters Friedman. (Hi Susan!) After watching her husband fall in a hiking accident, an anonymous first-person narrator rushes to call for help. As she works back through the history of their troubled relationship, it becomes clear that he might have had some “help” with his accident. A unique approach to a murder mystery.
Exploding Helicopters: One Explosion. The characters struggle more with themselves than they do with outside forces.
Profanometer: Dammit. Two f-bombs in one story, but the other eight featured just the occasional scatological reference.
The Diligent Dilettante 