NOVEMBER 2025
Dear Readers,
Hope you're all doing well.
Here's our brand new issue. Hope you enjoy. And, as always, thanks for continuing to read us, and thanks to all our great contributors.
--Mitchell & Diana
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Poetry Editor Diana May-Waldman's book A Woman's Song has received strong praise for its raw emotional power and unflinching honesty. The poetry collection explores the complexities of womanhood—touching on themes like violence, inequality, love, lust, and resilience—with a voice that is both fierce and tender.
What one reviewer has said:
A Woman's Song by Diana May-Waldman is a gorgeous collection of poetry that is as exciting as it can be, a collection that uncannily captures the essence of womanhood. In these poems, readers will hear echoes of longing, feel drawn into the currents of passionate encounters, understand the ache of wanting a man or seeking revenge, savor the beauty of friendship, and be pulled into a place — in the deep recesses of the heart — where a woman finds her strength and her weakness. The poem "Penis" sets the tone for the raw emotions that are noticeable in Diana May-Waldman's poetry, and she says it as she feels it: "I want a penis / I want to give birth to it / So I can teach it to be nice. / Teach it to be gentle..."
She examines family connections and memories. For instance, in "Granny," the speaker reflects on the life and passing of a grandmother and what happens after she passes away. Friendship is celebrated in "A Phone Call to My Best Friend," in which the speaker narrates her experience speaking to a friend from a phone booth, drawing parallels between this experience and a sexual encounter: "And if chicks had dicks / and the crisp little shells of nuts / I would love her more than you."
This collection handles mature themes, including rape, insecurity, violence, inequality, and more. The lyrical writing captured my heart, and the imagery, the oh-so-wonderful imagery, will fill the imagination of readers — from the tangled legs after sex in bed to the pain of loneliness, May-Waldman invites readers into the psyche of the personae and compels them to relive their moments of longing and intimacy. In one moment, one feels carried away with a destructive tide of hatred; then there is the exquisite lure of lust and then the tenderness of a loving heart. A Woman's Song is poetry that will appeal to mature women; it is raw and tender, infused with sensual imagery and rhythms that mimic the climates of the heart.
- Brenda Baiocci at THE BOOK COMMENTARY
You can check Diana's book out here.
And check out Fiction Editor Mitchell Waldman's new novel, The Visitor, available from ATTM Press.
The Visitor is a unique blend of science fiction, social commentary, and human drama, with dystopian and literary elements. It explores identity, alienation, social and political conditions, and government overreach in our current society from the viewpoint of an outsider--an alien spirit which has replaced that of a human after an automobile accident--or is he really just a human soul affected by a traumatic brain injury?
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Some reviews of The Visitor
Original, clever, imaginative, compelling, and a fun, fascinating read from cover to cover, "The Visitor" by Mitchell Waldman is an extraordinary and recommended pick for all dedicated science fiction fans. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this trade paperback edition of "The Visitor" from All Things That Matter Press is also available in a digital book format. -- Midwest Book Review
The Visitor by Mitchell Waldman melds sci-fi with human drama. It also throws in biting commentary of a dystopian nature. That nature is pretty much what is currently unfolding in the U.S. The strong-arm type of arresting and detaining of illegal immigrants in the novel is exactly what is happening in the U.S. right now. The messages in the media that are being constrained by the government in the novel appears to be happening in real life in the U.S. And the unhinged President in the novel, Wolff, parallels a lot of Donald Trump's words and actions. If you like a good story that blends science fiction with human drama with dystopian elements thrown in, The Visitor is something you should read. Even if you're a die-hard conservative who aligns with the current U.S. President, this is a good read. It just might get you to think about your choices. -- BVS Reviews
Mitchell Waldman's book, The Visitor, presents an interesting premise: someone wakes up in some else's body on what might be a completely different world. From the start you wonder, is it for real, what happened to Ash, or is he just feeling the effects of the accident?. . . . I liked the concept and the nuance of today's America as this passive observer begins to 'learn to be human.' The story's strongest point is its offbeat observations, as the protagonist sees the world in an entirely different context to most people, making it quite insightful at points. Here is where author Waldman did an excellent job in making this fantasy a 'thinking fantasy' for this reader. If you want to laugh and think, this is the book for you today. -- J.D. Nodar at World Book Reviews
A reflective dystopian sci-fi novel, "The Visitor" by Mitchell Waldman, explores themes of identity and social control through the story of Ash, who perceives himself as an off-world spirit in the body of Edward Fleishman after a life-altering accident. He encounters uncertainty regarding his identity as he wakes up to an unfamiliar spouse and a society enveloped in surveillance. The narrative's tension hinges on whether his experience is an alien possession or a result of neurological trauma, maintaining ambiguity throughout. The novel effectively critiques contemporary life by focusing on the pressures of bureaucracies and "helpful" authorities, transforming mundane interactions into tests of identity and consent. Influences from authors like Orwell and Philip K. Dick resonate through the reflective voice that prioritises characters' inner struggles over dramatic spectacles. . . .Waldman's writing style is steady and introspective, offering a minimalistic worldbuilding approach that invites readers to perceive dystopia through implications rather than overt descriptions. This book appeals to literary-oriented sci-fi enthusiasts drawn to themes of embodiment and memory, seeking a narrative filled with introspection and social critique rather than high-concept action. . . Overall, "The Visitor" is recommended for those who appreciate psychological complexity. -- Book Reviews Cafe
A unique blend of sci-fi and culture-fiction, this is a story unlike you've ever read before. The Visitor by Mitchell Waldman is an emotional thrill ride through otherworldly storytelling. Check out The Visitor if you've been in a place where you want introspection and a change of sci-fi pace. -- Justin Alcala, author of A Dead-End Job
This novel takes you on a mind-bending journey that really makes you reflect on questions of self, memory, and belonging. Ash's sudden plunge into a reality that feels both familiar and foreign reads like a mix of science fiction and psychological suspense. The constant push and pull between what he's told and what he senses for himself had me turning the pages quickly. His fight to find his place in a world filled with doubt and unfamiliar faces is haunting and very human. A powerful story that sticks with you long after finishing. -- Cameron Parker, author of Blooming in the Darkness
You can check it out on Amazon here.
You can see all our books and anthologies in The Bookstore.
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