The whore's child / Richard Russo -- Strip battleship / Amy Knox Brown -- The banks of the Vistula / Rebecca Lee -- Strawberry spring / Stephen King -- Like whiskey for Christmas / Joe Schraufnagel -- A different kind of imperfection / Thomas Beller -- What my boss is thinking / Art Grillo -- Fraternity / Dan Chaon -- Professors / Tom Whalen -- Hartwell / Ron Carlson -- The wife of the Indian / Lucia Perillo -- In loco parentis / Gillian Kendall -- Free writing / Sondra Spatt Olsen -- The rhythm of disintegration / Marly Swick -- Mr. Eggplant goes home / Alex Shishin -- Q, questing / Gordon Weaver -- Fundamentals of communication / Thisbe Nissen