Editor’s note
Welcome to mid-summer, and a hurray for us! The Bethlehem Writers Group (BWG) is marking its twentieth year this year with the release of a new anthology, Celebrating. See Literary Learnings in this issue of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable for more details about that.
We are also excited to share the winners of the 2026 Short Story Award: First place goes to “Some Things We Just Knew” by Avery Other; second place goes to “Malus Dictus” by Natalie Bucsko, and third place goes to “The Final Performance of Superstar Araminta Choi” by Natalie Bucsko. Congratulations to our winners!
Honorable Mentions go to “Mustard” by Rob Sheely; “Our Better Angels” by Phil Giunta; “Ned’s Bedevilment” by Claire A. Murray, and “Dr. Marlo Leads the Insect Revolution” by Roger J. Johns. A round of applause for these authors, as well!
Now to the current issue of BWR. Our featured story for Summer 2026 is “Blueprint for a House,” by Pravy Jha, about a daughter grieving her father’s death—and unraveling a mystery. Our featured poem is “Resolving to End Things,” by Sarah Yost, about starting anew.
In the &More section, you’ll find more great stories and poems. “Ocean Dreamer,” by Christy Hartman, takes us on a special cruise down memory lane. In “I’ll Never Go Back,” by M.D. Smith, a woman confronts her abusive father. In “Memorial,” by Christine Radlmann, a bench is more than a bench. And “Cross Examination,” by Greg Clumpner, tells a tale of a convenience store clerk challenged to examine her life by … someone or something.
We also have a terrific interview with Veronica Jorge, author and book reviewer, by BWG’s Marianne Donley. And in our spotlight feature, we visit with author Jess Simms, who won an Honorable Mention in BWG’s 2025 short story competition.
We hope you enjoy this issue!
Announcing the Winners
of
the 2026 Short Story Award
1st Place:
“Some Things We Just Knew” by Avery Other
2nd Place:
“Malus Dictus” by Natalie Bucsko
3rd Place:
“The Final Performance of Superstar Araminta Choi” by Natalie Bucsko
Honorable Mentions
(in alphabetical order by author’s last name):
“Our Better Angels” by Phil Giunta
“Dr. Marlo Leads the Insect Revolution” by Roger J Johns
“Ned’s Bedevilment” by Claire A Murray
“Mustard” by Rob Sheely
BWG would like to give our heartfelt thanks to guest judge Susan Kaye Quinn.
Featured Story
Blue Print for a House by Pravy Jha
The first thing the system asked for was the password.
Heena stared at the blinking cursor while the walnuts soaked in a brass bowl beside the laptop.
Outside, February rain tapped the balcony railing of her Delhi apartment. The city smelled of wet concrete and diesel. Inside, the room smelled of mustard oil, incense, and the faint metallic warmth of polished brass.
The email had arrived that morning: Your archive will be permanently deleted in 30 days.
Featured Poem
Resolving To End Things
Sarah Yost
There are things, then,
that need to be done.
A belting down of—
A gathering up of—
A folding in upon—
Also in this issue
Ocean Dreamer by Christy Hartman
I’ll Never Go Back by MD Smith
Memorial by Christine Radlmann
Cross Examination by Greg Clumpner
Interview with author and reviewer Veronica Jorge
Literary Learnings by Marianne H. Donley
Spotlight on Jess Simms