debut | 805lit 2/2

Manzhouli: Self-portrait of a City, by Tara Manshon

A favorite pastime of Manzhoulians is to collect broken and discarded items. Homes are often decorated with the unwanted and it is not...

Lies I’ll Tell My Son, by Michael Keenan Gutierrez

My great-grandfather was a bookie. This is true. He worked a corner in downtown Los Angeles back in the 30s and 40s, running a newspaper...

Silence, by Ellie Benesch

As we sit on the couch, I look out at the gray sky. It’s almost charcoal, with lighter strokes here and there. I hear the thunder growl,...

Identity Thief, by Ronna Whitehead

You ripped us from Mother’s arms, and Father tried to fight you. He didn’t have a gun, and your team had many. Uniformed men forced us...