Pact Press brings you Howling Up to the Sky, the second anthology in our series designed to spark conversation, promote awareness, and generate funds for groups striving to improve our society. Pact Press is proud, through the sale of this anthology, to support the fine work of Shatterproof in assisting families and individuals struggling with addiction.

 This volume opens with a powerful forward by Catherine McDowell, Executive Director of Roots of Recovery. Ms. McDowell’s insights lead a cavalcade of thoughtful, thought-provoking pieces on addiction, recovery, loss, and hope: essays by Barbara Lodge, Abigail Warren, Sarah Ghoshal, Ken Benson, Anna Schoenbach, Laura Golden, and Alma McKinley; a short story by Jenean McBearty; and poems by Tom Pescatore, Susan Vespoli, Kerry Rawlinson, Edison Jennings, Cynthia McCain, Brian Koester, Jemshed Khan, Justin Karcher, Nathanael Stolte, Damian Rucci, Will Cordeiro, Larry Thacker, and Luke Muyskens. The often-poignant offerings within will change souls and minds, and we hope will move us toward solutions.

Contents
Acknowledgements

Forward by Catherine McDowell, Executive Director and Founder of Roots of Recovery

Introduction by Jaynie Royal and Ruth Feiertag

A Bad Night, an essay by Barbara Lodge

Oxy, a poem by Tom Pescatore

Alex’s Teeth, a poem by Susan Vespoli

Heroin Addiction: News From the Happy Valley, an essay by Abigail Warren

Sophie, an essay by Abigail Warren

Grade School Photo, a poem by Eddison Jennings

Suburbia’s Downfall, an essay by Sarah Ghoshal

Apology to a Heroin Addict, a poem by Sarah Ghoshal

Hart’s Cove, a poem by Cythnia McCain

To a Dead Friend, a poem by Brian Koester

A Doctor’s Perspective, an essay by Ken Benson

A Visit From Reality, a short fiction by Jenean McBearty

Chicken, a poem by Susan Vespoli

Intersects, a short fiction by Kerry Rawlinson

Modern Blue, a poem by Jemshed Khan

Not Just Pills for Pills, an essay by Anna Schoenbach

Screaming Really Loudly into van Gogh’s Severed Ear, a poem by Justin Karcher

Soul-Rot, a poem by Nathanael Stolte

Roots of Recovery, an essay by Laura Golden

All the Junkies on Carr Avenue, a poem by Damian Rucci

Graveyard, a poem by Will Cordeiro

Deal, a poem by Larry Thacker

Make Green the Lawn, a poem by Luke Muyskens

Some Good Has Come of This, an essay by D. Ketchum

Good Morning, Death, a short fiction by Kerry Rawlinson

Hopeful, a poem by Tom Pescatore

Overpass, a poem by Will Cordeiro

Junky Obituary Newsfeed, an essay by Nathanael Stolte

Pyramids, a poem by Damian Rucci

Brother-in-law, a poem by Jemshed Khan

A Pharmacist’s Choices and Their Impact on the Opioid Epidemic, an essay by Alma McKinley