Mathew Serback reads a short story. This story originally appeared online for The Dime Show Review (https://www.dimeshowreview.com/cleveland-by-mathew-serback/). 

Using professional wrestling promos as a backdrop, these stories weave together different worlds. In "Cleveland," we have a story about the place Mathew was born and raised. He reflects on the sadness he saw during that time.

Don't forget - the banks change their names like the money's ashamed to be associated with us.

Mathew Serback discusses why he wrote this week's short story.

Bruce Weigl is a true legend of writing and deserves some love. Mat shares "Song of Napalm" by Bruce Weigl (https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/song-of-napalm).

This story hasn't been published! I understand why it hasn't been published, but I love it for it's imperfections.

Mathew Serback reads a short story from his collection of works that involve pro wrestling. This story is about the Vietnam War and the infinite tragedies it caused. This is an issue America still hasn't fully realized - and, unfortunately, probably never will.

Peace. Love. Be nice.

I'm growing more powerful by the week.

Mathew Serback reads a story from his collection "You're Telling Me Pro Wrestling Isn't Real?", which borrows from popular professional wrestling promos to create interesting short fiction. This story originally appeared in Vine Leaves Literary Journal (https://issuu.com/vineleaves/docs/vl_issue18_online_final).

The story is a look into death. While my father learned of his cancer, I learned that people who are sick tend to look toward other areas of life for comfort. For my father, that was sports. 

Um...Mat got weird this week.

Enjoy.

Promo by: Chris Jericho

Music by https://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/

Writer, Mathew Serback, reads the second story from his collection that focuses on professional wrestling. This story borrows from a Chris Jericho promo. In the promo, Chris Jericho is a heel (bad guy) who is degrading the face (good guy) for having a father who was an alcoholic. Jericho does an amazing job of showing the right amount of faux empathy to get his point across.

Writer, Mathew Serback, turns his short story "You're Telling Me Pro Wrestling Isn't Real?" into a song. Eat your prayers, say your vitamins, and get a little creeped out by this tune. 

Mathew Serback talks about Patricia Lockwood's "Rape Joke" poem, Hulk Hogan, renting VHS tapes from the library, and why he can't connect to other human beings.

Patricia Lockwood "Rape Joke" -  https://www.theawl.com/2013/07/patricia-lockwood-rape-joke/

Mathew Serback reads "You're Telling Me Pro Wrestling Isn't Real?" which was first published by GASHER Journal.

The story uses famous promos from professional wrestler Hulk Hogan to tell the story of understanding the absence of love.