As we walked, we talked. No topic was off limits. My father wanted to
know what was on my mind. Did I have any problems I wanted to discuss?
Had I noticed anything during the day that had stuck with me or left
me thinking? On one walk, he became the first person to learn about
my love of ants, which I saw as aesthetic wonders, with those shiny, round
segmented bodies and swift movements on slender legs. My father listened
closely, said he’d never thought of ants that way before and that he’d have
to pay more attention to them in future ...
Prose, in its entirety, is available in the printed version of the current issue.
Bio:
RONA ALTROWS is a fiction writer, essayist, editor, and playwright. Her books of short fiction are A Run on Hose, Key in Lock, and At This Juncture. Please Don’t Interrupt, co-edited with Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike (Griots Lounge), is a new anthology that explores the theme of interruption. Her book of personal essays, Anxious Kid Makes Pretty Good (Now or Never Publishing), will be released in 2026. She is the 2025 recipient of the Prairie Grindstone Prize for her body of work and her ongoing commitment to supporting both emerging and established writers.
Photo of Rona's father, Hyman Altrows, provided by Rona Altrows.