The Forge Literary Magazine

“I call them ear flaps.” Samir tilts his head in a way that suggests he is having a dialogue with his inner self. Everyone needs an inner self, Janet believes, a sensible, analytical self that reminds you of basic truths, such as, Change comes about slowly. Or, Beware. This is not a real fix. Janet pauses, thinking of Henry, her son, the ungainly twenty-thre...

Read Patricia Dutt’s fiction piece, Humming

Sommer: I see from your Substack that you are interested in the intersection of environmental sustainability and mental health. I love how you show and explore t...

I have no interest in serving tea.

My mom, a tea master, doesn’t dance with her feet, but with her hands. Entranced, I watch her as she kneels on the new tatamimats, preparing tea for two Japanese women, honored guests in our home. She’s practiced the Japanese tea ceremony for thirteen years and learned each deliberate move of the art by heart.

“Just like ...

Read Monique Desir’s fiction piece, Ichi-go Ichi-e

Fiona: The details of the tea ceremony are so beautifully woven into this story of a young girl struggling to understand herself. Did both parts ...

In the beginning, Goose was just a cat. He had four paws and claws that were sharp against her skin when he would reach for a toy she dangled in front of him and missed. He had a scratchy tongue that tickled her eyelid when he was trying to wake her up in the morning. He had black fur with a white stripe going down his chest that looked like a tie, which made everybody say he...