PAPA
Inspired by a painting by Bo Bartlett, “Papa” was published in the British journal Firewords Quarterly in 2014. In 2018, the story was adapted into a staged reading. It is one of two stories I wrote about Albanian refugees. Like many of my stories, this one features a young female protagonist.
MEET THE CAST OF PAPA

Emaline Mau
Blerta
Emaline has been acting since she was 10. She and her twin brother, Keillor (Evander in Episode 2, Pal) appeared together in a commercial for Holiday World.
An artist first and foremost, Emaline has been making jewelry for several years. Her jewelry company, Rainbow Parachute, wholesales to boutiques.

Michael Westmoreland
Narrator
Michael is a retired physician and current artist/sculptor. He has over twenty years of stage experience, appearing as many types of characters in over thirty-six plays. Now he is making a move into vocal talent and audiobook work where he can continue to perform and bring life to the written word.

Chad Morgan
Lycrad Jogger
Chad has been fortunate enough to tell stories through stage, film, television, and now narrative podcasts, for the past 27 years. Her work can be seen in many familiar places and in little-known spaces though most often existing as an everyday Los Angeleno cruising the city streets to her own beat.

J Barton Mitchell
Boyfriend
J. Barton Mitchell is a creator and writer of speculative fiction, and the author of the science fiction YA novel series CONQUERED EARTH (published by St. Martin’s Press), and THE RAZOR (published by Tor Books). He has sold screenplays to Warner Bros. and 21st Century Fox, and created the comic book series POE for ‘Boom! Studios’. His novel VALLEY OF FIRES, was awarded best science fiction novel of 2014 by the RT Book Review.
His latest endeavor, the sci-fi narrative podcast Fathom, is a must-listen.