(This story was published in The Awakenings Review in January–but Covid had disrupted the organization’s work so much that everything’s behind schedule. It is now available for purchase online at the link below.)
The Awakenings Project publishes the review as part of their support for mental health efforts in the Chicago area, and one of their requirements is that writers should either have personal experience of mental illness, or be close to someone who has. Around twenty years ago I did a stretch with a therapist to deal with anxiety; I’ve lived with persons facing depression; and one of my good friends from adolescence turned into a full-blown schizophrenic during his twenties, as did my son’s best friend. So the editors let me submit, and they chose to publish “The Toy Thief” in Awakenings Review, the Fall 2020 issue, which it shares with other stories, essays, poems, artwork, and excellent photographs.
It’s a good story, and it keeps good company in the magazine, so, consider purchasing a copy of Volume 8, Number 2, at the link below:
Rick Risemberg
Crow Tree Books 