Hello Dear Readers, 

    We would like to let you know the winners for the April issue. 

    Between April 15 and May 15, 34,151 people read our stories and we are extremely delighted to have had the chance to offer them such a broad choice in poems and stories. 

    And now, the winners, although, I cannot stress this enough, every single one of the poets and writers published in this magazine is a winner. They all offered you the possibility to read something that enrich your mind and your soul. We, the Scarlet Leaf Staff, want to thank them all. We will always be delighted to publish their works. 

                               POETRY 

FIRST PRIZE 
                  NEIL SLEVIN & MICHAEL LEE JOHNSON     2,368 READERS

SECOND PRIZE
                   KEN ALLAN DRONSFIELD                          1,513 READERS

THIRD PRIZE
                   ROBIN WYATT DUNN                                    1,498 READERS

                            PROSE

FIRST PRIZE 
                    WILLIAM QUINCY BELLE                               1,622 READERS

SECOND PRIZE
                     RICK EDELSTEIN                                              1,353 READERS

THIRD PRIZE 
                    JACK AVANI & N.T. FRANKLIN                       1,075 READERS

         We congratulate all of them and all of the other poets and writers that have contributed with their talent to our April issue. Way to go to you all! And a big thank you from us!

Scarlet Leaf Staff      

Two men reveal their darkest secrets one to the other through dry humor and sarcasm. They picture life like a web of dark and grey areas. Dissatisfaction may lead to crime in order to gain some self-respect. Will it be a crime in the end?


Rick Edelstein was born and ill-bred on the streets of the Bronx. His initial writing was stage plays off-Broadway in NYC. When he moved to the golden marshmallow (Hollywood) he cut his teeth writing and directing multi-TV episodes of “Starsky & Hutch,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Chicago,” “Alfred Hitchcock,” et al. He also wrote screenplays, including one with Richard Pryor, “The M’Butu Affair” and a book for a London musical, “Fernando’s Folly.” His latest evolution has been prose with many published short stories and novellas, including, “Bodega,” “Manchester Arms,” “America Speaks,” “Women Go on,” “This is Only Dangerous,” “Aggressive Ignorance,” “Buy the Noise,” and “The Morning After the Night.” He writes every day as he is imbued with the Judeo-Christian ethic, “A man has to earn his day.” Writing atones.

Two men discuss their role in life as a father or husband or a single man in the dating scene of single bars, and how the new roles changed their life. Interesting point of view upon marriage, fatherhood, sex nowadays and potential jobs. Their discussion brings into focus the differences in thinking between women and men and how they feel about the new definition of the sexes.

Rick Edelstein was born and ill-bred on the streets of the Bronx. His initial writing was stage plays off-Broadway in NYC. When he moved to the golden marshmallow (Hollywood) he cut his teeth writing and directing multi-TV episodes of “Starsky & Hutch,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Chicago,” “Alfred Hitchcock,” et al. He also wrote screenplays, including one with Richard Pryor, “The M’Butu Affair” and a book for a London musical, “Fernando’s Folly.” His latest evolution has been prose with many published short stories and novellas, including, “Bodega,” “Manchester Arms,” “America Speaks,” “Women Go on,” “This is Only Dangerous,” “Aggressive Ignorance,” “Buy the Noise,” and “The Morning After the Night.” He writes every day as he is imbued with the Judeo-Christian ethic, “A man has to earn his day.” Writing atones.