Articles Archives - Janet Kurtz

Momentitos

A crash of thunder set me straight up, in time to see the lightening fill my little cabin bedroom. That was close. What time is it, anyway? The blackened sky hid the usual sunrise. The

While it is Still Here

How can I possibly be sitting outside at 7:29 p.m. on a June evening and not be inhaling bugs? I get that we lack bugs because we lack rain, but the grasses are green, the

Double your Pleasure, Double your Fun

People of a certain age will be able to finish these phrases and likely be able to sing the jingle. This might bring a smile from childhood days or a blank look, depending on one’s

Silence or breaking silence? Deciding or not deciding? Showing up or not showing up? As a writer, I have difficulty sticking to word counts. A magazine article might limit me to 800 words; a newspaper’s

Mending Moments

The voices in my head have picked up the noises in the atmosphere. I have signed a barrage of petitions resulting in a deluge of pings, tings, and emails announcing the latest news out of

Seeking Sisu

Sisu (Finnish) Noun: A special strength and determination to continue on in moments of adversity; having grit, bravery, and resilience: refusing to give up

James and the Whistle

If you wish to have the author read this story to you, check the link below. The following short story was written in 2016 and is included on page 103 in Janet Kurtz’s recently published

Celebrations & Core Beliefs

In the north, meteorologists have added “wind chill” to their weather reports. They elongate their updates with “the temperature feels like” and “polar winds” coming in from Canada, as they sweep their hands over huge

Heart of My Soul

Illinois used to be a lot further away from northern Wisconsin than it is today. “Consider the roads,” Charles began. “Today’s expressways were once two-lane highways, winding, hilly, without shoulders, and dotted with myriad small

Of Owls and the Full Moon

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. The battery run wall clock faithfully pulses time through the cabin’s interior. At this moment, it is working its melodic tick, tock through the night’s darkness. I am soothed, like a

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