Read the winning piece of our 2025 Nonfiction Contest “Through the Mirror” by Jessie Cato selected by Lucy Ives.

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Photo of Allison Noelle Conner

Allison Noelle Conner

Allison Noelle Conner’s writing has appeared in Rockhaven: A History of Interiors, Forward: 21st Century Flash Fiction, The Music Center’s For the Love of L.A., and elsewhere. Born in Ft. Lauderdale, she lives in Los Angeles. IG: @loosepleasures

Fiction

Black Estrangement

Gila

By Allison Noelle Conner

1. “Cheer up, girlie. Gila’s a diamond in the rough.” The paramedic wore all navy—a wrinkled shirt tucked into slacks, punctuated by shiny black boots. His sandy hair was gelled […]