After a glorious day, a young child runs into the kitchen with her brother. They excitedly talk of grand battles and a forest so thick and dark that they thought they would never make it home for dinner. The parents listen with love. Such adventures. But the mom gently reminds the daughter that her hair is tangled and her face is dirty. The child goes upstairs to fix her hair and wash her face before dinner.

In her brother’s retelling, she becomes the princess he rescued, not the warrior goddess who battled the giant snakes into submission. Her parents compliment her on her beautiful hair. She sits down to dinner. She is no longer a main character.

Tangled Locks Journal is an online literary journal committed to sharing complex, well-rounded stories, poetry, and essays that illuminate the experience and lives of women. We publish four full issues a year and feature one short piece each month that does not have a full issue scheduled. Too often, women in stories are plot devices designed to move the male protagonists along on their journeys.

This is a place for full-bodied stories where no one is marginalized. We are looking for unvarnished truth. We come to you with tangled hair and dirt under our fingernails. The words you read are of people who do the unexpected, who are complicated, who break the mold or meet expectations with an inner narrative that shocks you.

Please enjoy the stories here. Some will make your heart soar. Some will break it. Please share with others. And if you have a tangled, complicated story to tell, please submit it to us.

Editor, Teresa Berkowitz

Teresa grew up in a family of storytellers. Her poetry, short stories, and essays have been published in anthologies and literary journals. She has a background in marketing, graphic design, and art direction. She is a content writer and marketing consultant. She is currently working on a novel and a poetry manuscript.