my name . . .
Somewhere between there and here, I land, not exactly on solid ground but on an island, and I cried for months after my birth. I hang on like an afterthought …
Creative Nonfiction
The Keeping Room is an online magazine for all women writers, poets, and artists.
We are looking to publish your short stories, essays, free writing, poetry, and photo essays that touch on topics related to Women’s Wisdom, Lessons Learned, Self-care, Bodies, Relationships, and Community.
Writers selected for publication will be paid $25
Too Much Pepper, and a Baby by Lora Berg
How do people decide on a number of children to have?
Have: 1. possess, own, hold.
2. experience, undergo.
Olivia Rodrigo Can Save Us by Patricia Powers
Photo by Suzie Blackman via UnsplashWhen I was younger, I held out hope, some distant fantasy, that someone would...
Womb-Spoke by Virginia Archer-Peak
Photo by Nicole Herrero via UnsplashQueen of Swords: A man I once loved explained to me in my 20’s that I didn’t want...
Woman Running by Brittney P. Mihalich
Photo by Brittney P. MihalichI wrench fire engine red spandex up each leg — easier to spot a shock of color buried...
Pysanky Love by Donna H. DiCello
Words have a complex beauty: conjurers of magic, they roll off the tongue, they elicit our emotions, serve as bridges between both personal and collective history
Bone and The Witch by Shanda McManus
I had a hard time sleeping before Bone came. I was nine, and each night I wondered—Is that scratching on my window?
While It’s Still Possible by Sherry Stratton
I knew Mom couldn’t remove her wedding and engagement rings. Literally, could not get them off: the knuckle of her ring finger was swollen way beyond the size of the rings
That Irresistible Pull by Karen Skalitzky
“I want to be more interesting,” I tell my friend two days after I turned 55.
My First Love by Rachel Remick
The first boy I ever loved was Freddie Prinze. I was five years old when I first saw him on Chico and the Man. The feeling was quick, intense, and undeniable: I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to hold his hand
Finding the Lightships with Birdy by Akkiah Davison-Floyd
I walk quietly to Birdy’s room and softly seat myself on a rocking chair. It’s late, the sun has already set. A small bedside lamp casts off a soft golden glow. Her bed is lowered to the floor. Feather stuffed duvets…