Here's what Luke Wortley and Zach Roth, the editors of Axolotl, had to say about my play "The Feeling Down Check-Up":

In the middle of the issue is a play by Kayla Pongrac entitled “The Feeling Down Check-Up.” The amount of paradox present in the title is in of itself puzzling, yet oddly satisfying, in its invitation to interpretation, and as the scene unfolds, the reader finds herself both repelled by and attracted to the strangeness of the world. By the end, as the reader watches the “Three small, red balls…roll across the floor,” she wants both to laugh hysterically and to throw up her hands in frustration at being denied a clear meaning.

"The Feeling Down Check-Up" was performed at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown a few years ago as part of the annual Golgonooza Festival. Faculty members hand-pick student plays to be performed on stage, and mine made the cut. Once the plays are chosen, they are handed to student directors and then Pitt-Johnstown students fill the roles accordingly. The respect and interest that everyone from the director to the audience members showed my play was what made me want to continue writing for the stage (this fall I plan to finish a new play about a couple dining in a unique restaurant setting). If you're interested in seeing the performance of my play, click here. I do apologize for the lack of quality but, hey, at least proof of the fantastic job the director and students did exists.

To see this play in print in the very first issue of Axolotl is a real treat. I'm so thrilled that the editors selected it for publication and handled it with care; it looks fantastic on their website, and I'm proud to be part of what I think is going to be a stellar literary magazine. Click here to read "The Feeling Down Check-Up" and while you're at it, read the rest of the inaugural issue, too. I'm delighted to find that my play is in good company and that the issue is well-cast :D

Welp, yesterday was definitely a record-breaking day for me: I had five writings appear in three different literary magazines!

Here's a re-cap:

1. Three of my flash fiction pieces were published by a new literary magazine called Maudlin House. I wasn't sure to expect from these guys, but as soon as I saw the cover art for the first issue on Twitter, I knew that what they had in store (or should I say under the tent?) was going to be good.

Simply put, I love everything about this new literary magazine. Their website design is sharp. Plus, I'm thrilled that they selected my pieces for publication in their FIRST issue. Good stuff. Check it out here, and don't forget to subscribe to their mailing list!

2. My fourth publication of the day was by the wonderful, music-inspired literary magazine Mixtape Methodology. They published a humorous piece ("Dog Adoption Hut") that details what could happen if dogs' barks could be catered to our musical tastes. Curious? :)

3. Last but not least, another humorous piece, "How to Keep Your Enamel Exhibit Presentable," was chosen for publication by The Gambler. This was a fun one for me because these are the magazine's submission guidelines: "Work is selected by using a method that relies largely on chance. Submissions are collected and numbered in the order they arrive and then a random selection of numbers decides. Winning numbers may come from anywhere: a Powerball ticket, an editor’s social security number, or numbers that are divisible by nine. Why nine? Why not? These selections are then reviewed by editors, put through a revision process (if needed, sometimes submission are wonderful just the way they are), and published online." So, lucky me. This piece found a unique home!

Coming this month, I'll have a short story published by Grouch, a funky literary magazine based out of Melbourne, Australia, and a flash fiction piece published by Digging Through the Fat: ripping out the heart, which is run by a fellow theNewerYork contributor. A few others may pop up here and there . . . stay tuned! September is my birthday month so I'm hoping that I will have a lot of good news to share about various projects I'm working on and a new dog that I'll be looking forward to welcoming into my life. 

Thanks for reading,
Kayla

P.S. I also want to mention that I made the Top 25 for The Molotov Cocktail's Flash Monster Contest! My email read: "We received a relatively large number of submissions, so your inclusion in the Top 25 is meant to both be encouraging (it wasn't an easy feat to accomplish!)." All smiles here.

Leaning against a brick wall like some kind of fashion model, he glances toward the biggest building in the city and flicks his cigarette so nonchalantly that it makes smoking look like sign language rather than a bad habit, and now he's got me wondering what I can do with my own hands, how I can turn movements of a hand into words that will make him squint and then smile.

It's hard to believe that we're nearing the end of July. Where is summer going?!

This month my work was published in three stellar online literary magazines. They included the newly formed Mixtape Methodology (though you would never know they're brand new judging by the professional look of their website and all the great stories they have posted thus far), the lovely Dublin, Ireland-based The Bohemyth, and the uniquely named Butterfly Knives and Sea Salt. I am grateful to the editors of these magazines for finding my work worthy of inclusion.

So, just in case you missed it, here are the links to my pieces should you be interested in reading them (and if you're also a writer, by all means: submit to these guys!):

Kill for Thrill--Kill for Thrill: Listen to the Goodbye Waves in Mixtape Methodology
Creatures of the Past in The Bohemyth
Warhola in Butterfly Knives and Sea Salt

Coming next month (as of July 25), I'll have other pieces featured in London, England-based Oblong, the funny-as-ever Defenestration Magazine and another piece in Mixtape Methodology! Stay tuned and, as always, thanks for reading and visiting my website! :)

theNewerYork Press published my third piece of fiction, "How to Make This Without Using That," yesterday as part of theNewerYork's 24-Hour Lit Binge. In addition to my story, they published 23 other great pieces that are worth checking out; I particularly liked "Dear Amadeus" by Bryce Bullins, "Coffee Break" by Miguel Martinez, "Theatre" by Emily McCrary, "Porn is Much Less Stressful" by Steven Rineer and "Endnotes for Life" by Chris Campanioni. But don't overlook any of the ones I didn't mention, as there is something to admire in every single published piece! Best of all, if you read a piece that you like and are feeling particularly generous, you can donate to the authors (plus theNewerYork gets 8% of the fee, which they totally deserve). Check out theNewerYork here if you dig experimental literature . . . you're bound to find more to love, pinky promise! :)

HOOT Review--a litmag that comes in the form of a postcard--is celebrating National Poetry Month by sending out postcards to addresses that the editors randomly select from a phone book!

HOOT Review is great, through and through. And--to be quite honest--people need more poetry in their lives. This is a great way to make that happen. Plus, they're not expecting it. Even better.

If you're interested in joining the cause, click here. (I also recommend subscribing to HOOT Review. You get a postcard mailed to you every month. The writing and art = consistently commendable!)

E and I traveled to Seattle last week and man, that's a city I could see myself living in someday if I decide I want to trade the East Coast for the West.

While in Seattle, I had one of the most amazing conversations with this dude, who seemed to really taking a liking to me/my style:

E and I just had to see the Pike Place Market, where the employees are known for throwing fish and entertaining customers. While browsing around, we stumbled upon the most expensive jerky I've ever seen:

That's right. Salmon jerky. $44.99 per pound. Not even kidding.

Next, we stumbled into a little bookstore, where I found this awesome "genre":

Oh! And I got to read my work for the first time on the West Coast at this amazing little coffee shop:

If you're in Seattle, GO TO THIS PLACE AND ORDER A CHAI LATTE. DOCTOR'S ORDERS.

Did I mention that the first Starbucks is located in Seattle? Yup. Here it is:

Confession: After I snapped this photo, we walked across the street and waited in line, too. Verdict: Worth it, just to see how a small coffee shop turned into a multi-million dollar franchise. (Also worth noting: Their original logo is quite different than the one we see today.)

Last but not least, here's a photo of the ferris wheel, promptly followed by a view from the top of that ferris wheel (it costs a lot more than it probably should to ride it, but I would say that it's worth it):

So . . . Seattle. We got along just fine.