Russel Swensen (he/they) earned their MFA in fiction from the California Institute of the Arts and their doctorate in poetry from the University of Houston. They are the author of Santa Ana (2012) and The Magic Kingdom (2016). Their fiction and poetry have appeared in Black Clock, Quarterly West, Pank, Tusculum Review, Devil's Lake, The Rupture, The Carolina Quarterly, Reservoir Road, and elsewhere. They live in New Orleans with their catahoula dobie mix, Mazzy.
I broke down the door to our home,More than once.But I remember the first timeAs clearly as an ant magnified in a pearlOf dew— You laughed and said, “Brilliant, nightmarish,Ridiculous, your key’s right there—On the terrace.” I had to reattachThe door frame with a hammerAnd nails. After that, breaking was easier.I barely kept trackOf where my keys were. Each drunkenEvening… Read more →