Recommended by Paul Donnelly

SZP certainly lives up to its intriguing title. Her rising panic about the effects of the Rot and her emerging regrets about some of her life choices are very funny and tinged with just a hint of melancholy. I heartily applaud her final choice and this whole piece.

This is a razor sharp metaphorical exploration of a final loss of control. The crisp dialogue propels us through an ever deepening narrative. What seems like the final reveal is made all the more chilling by the haunting closing line that follows.

Five witty takes on the extremes to which a certain popular obsession may drive us. Each works on its own, but the cumulative effect is most satisfying.

The class of 22 found the pandemic shutdown a relief from the horrors of life at M.U. Shelby recounts those horrors in an escalating torrent of dark comedy. This goes way beyond a simple parody of commencement speeches and launches into a lunatic realm all its own.

I was living on O'ahu in January of 2018 and remember well the terror and anxiety the nuclear alert caused. I can see how that fear would have prompted an extreme reaction for Ed, but one that would have enduring consequences for his post-false alarm life. This is certainly a credible and compelling portrait of two people dealing with terrifying and unexpected circumstances.

This is a compelling depiction of the start of a bad marriage. Man and Woman are both clear in their sadly divergent views of what this wedding means. So much that is so resonant is revealed in this short piece.

This is a charming portrait of three senior citizens losing all sense of perspective over completing a jigsaw puzzle. Each is a distinct and well-drawn character and would offer the right sort of challenge to high school performers.

Baby's First Existential Crisis is a hoot and a half. The parents' dilemma is so relatable and the baby's inner monologue is hysterical. This would be a delight to see staged.

A dark and wry meditation on the role of Art and the struggle to survive in a totalitarian dystopia. For all the darkness, and there is some dark stuff in Art Duty, the wit of this work is striking, What this melding of darkness and humor leads to is a fascinating conceit brilliantly realized.

Ghosts from the past pop up in the strangest places, few more disconcerting than your child's kindergarten classroom. The shock of seeing Jack again forces Dennis to confront, and ultimately allows him to let go of, wounds from his past. The novel setting is used most effectively.