Yacoub Aljaffery's non-fiction narrative of a brutal childhood in Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Nichole Held's slice-of-life story about a family breakup.

Steve Klepetar's playful poem "How to Make Love in a Foreign Language."

These and other literary works -- plus five powerful photos -- form Kaleidoscope 2009, the magazine of the Write Place, St. Cloud State University's writing center.