The Gordian Review Volume 2 2017 The Gordian Review Volume 2, 2017 Texas Review Press Huntsville, TX Copyright 2017 Texas Review Press, Sam Houston State University Department of English. ISSN 2474-6789. The Gordian Review volunteer staff: Editor in Chief: Julian Kindred Poetry Editor: Mike Hilbig Fiction Editor: Elizabeth Evans Nonfiction Editor: Timothy Bardin Cover Design: Julian Kindred All images were found, copyright-free, on Shutterstock.com. For those graduate students interesting in having their work published, please submit through The Gordian Review web- site (gordianreview.org) or via the Texas Review Press website (texasreviewpress.org). Only work by current or recently graduated graduate students (Masters or PhD level) will be considered for publication. If you have any questions, the staff can be contacted by email at
[email protected]. Contents 15 “Nightsweats” Fiction by James Stewart III 1 “A Defiant Act” 16 “Counting Syllables” Poetry by Sherry Tippey Nonfiction by Cat Hubka 4 “Echocardiogram” 17 “Missed Connections” 5 “Ants Reappear Like Snowbirds” 6 “Bedtime Story” Poetry by Alex Wells Shapiro 6 “Simulacrum” 21 “Feralizing” 7 “Cat Nap” 21 “Plugging” 22 “Duratins” 23 “Opening” Nonfiction by Rebekah D. Jerabek 7 “Of Daughters” 23 “Desiccating” Poetry by Kirsten Shu-ying Chen Acknowledgements 14 “Astronimical dawn” 15 “Brainstem” Author Biographies A Defiant Act by James Stewart III father walks to the back of the family mini-van balancing four ice cream cones in his two hands. He’s holding them away from hisA body so they don’t drip onto his stained jeans in the midsummer heat. He somehow manages to open the back hatch of the van while balancing the treats.