6-minute Stories

Akira Odani lives in the ancient city of St. Augustine, Florida. He belongs to Taste Life Twice Writers and the Florida Writers Association. Born in Tokyo, he had written extensively for the Japanese media. Still, more recently, his interest has turned to writing in English and subjects related to his experiences interacting with the two cultures. Some of his work has appeared in the pages of FWA anthologies, The Weekly Avocet, PSPP, Twists and Turns, and Lost & Found. He stays active, meditating, swimming, and playing pickleball.

Diana Neunkirchner is a retired teacher living in Rougemont, North Carolina. An avid reader and writer, she is a member of the Durham Writers Group, the Writers’ Inspirational Network, and the Writers’ Critique Group. When she’s not writing short stories, personal essays, or memoir, she is hiking along the Eno River or playing the flute at Your Saving Grace, the family farm.

Rhoda Cerny lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her two cats. When she is not writing or dreaming of travel, you will find her singing, dancing, practicing Italian, and gardening. A member of the Orange County chapter of the NC Writer’s Network and writing groups in the Triangle, she has published poetry and is currently working on a novel and a memoir. She wrote “Andante Con Amore” while a Writer-in-Residence at the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities in Southern Pines.

Annette L. Brown is a mother, wife, and retired teacher, who lives on an almond farm in Central California where she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is grateful for the support of The Taste Life Twice Writers and The Light Makers’ Society and for simply having time to write. Annette has pieces reflecting her love of nature, family, beauty, and humor in several publications including Cathexis Northwest Press, Last Stanza Poetry, Flash Fiction Magazine, Every Day Fiction, and other Personal Story Publishing Project anthologies.

Mary Clements Fisher celebrates her current mother/grandmother, sweetheart, student, and writer status in Northern California. Her poetry and prose explore her mad, muddled, and magical moments. She’s published in Quail Belle Magazine, Adanna Journal, Passager Journal, The Weekly Avocet, Personal Story Publishing Project, Prometheus Dreaming Journal, The Closed Eye Open, Capsule Stories, and They Call Us Magazine. Join her @maryfisherwrites and https://maryfisherwrites.squarespace.com/

Becky Gibson has published three chapbooks and five full-length books of poetry: notably, Aphrodite’s Daughter (Texas Review Press, 2007); Need-Fire (Bright Hill Press, 2007); Heading Home (Main Street Rag, 2014); and Indelible (The Broadkill River Press, 2018). Her current focus is creative nonfiction. Three pieces appear in print, in Snowy Egret, Canary, and Twists and Turns (PSPP, Fall, 2022). A fourth comes out soon in Cold Mountain Review. 

Becky taught English at Guilford College until 2008, when she retired to write full-time. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Mary Alice Dixon is a Pushcart nominee who taught architectural history in the U.S. and China. She is an award-winning poet and finalist for the NC Poetry Society’s 2023 Poet Laureate Award. Her writing appears in the PSPP anthologies Twists and Turns, Curious Stuff, Trouble, and That Southern Thing. She has recent work in County Lines, Kakalak, Mythic Circle, Pinesong, Petigru Review, and elsewhere. Mary Alice lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she volunteers with hospice, participates in Charlotte Writers Club and Charlotte Lit, and loves hats, honeybees, and old stories. 

Fifty writers share insightful, heartfelt, thought-provoking, and humorous stories about how the matters of time and timing have affected their lives or been essential elements of one episode or another. Being too early or too late, having all the time in the world, or not nearly enough make all the difference in our life experiences. Among these stories are tales that challenge the matter of inevitability which inevitably comes up when we bring these two words close enough to interact—sooner or later.      

Through 50 short stories, you share in the personal experiences of writers—both new voices and seasoned storytellers. They skillfully share and reflect on life episodes, offering lessons learned, cautions for consideration, and encouragements for the journeys of others. Through these stories we glean a glimpse into the experiences of these writers. We consider how time comes into play in their lives and in ours—right time/wrong time, too much time, too little. Inevitably we discover life is all about time and timing, sooner or later.

Akira Odani lives in the ancient city of St. Augustine, Florida. He is a member of the Taste Life Twice Writers’ group and the Florida Writers Association. Born in Tokyo, he wrote extensively in the past for the Japanese media. Still, more recently, his interest has turned to writing in English and on subjects related to his memories of interacting with the two cultures. Some of his work has appeared in the pages of FWA anthologies and PSPP’s fall 2022 collection. He stays active, meditating, swimming, and playing pickleball.

Emily Rosen lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where for over 20 years and until her 95th birthday last year, she instructed classes in memoir writing, publishing two anthologies of stories from her classes, and the book, Who Am I? For two decades and until the local weekly newspaper folded in 2021, she wrote the column “Everything's Coming Up Rosen.” Her travel and feature articles have appeared nationwide while her poetry languishes in the pages of a fat notebook. She has worked as a copy writer, travel writer, columnist, elementary and community college teacher, mental health counselor, and owner of the now defunct “singing telegram” company, Witty Ditty. Her long-lived history puts her at an old Philco Radio listening to FDR’s “Fireside Chats.” (www.emilyrosen424.com)