Read "Stronger Than a Tornado" written by @pegahouji.bsky.social and illustrated by @brooksiesbooks.bsky.social. "Rumy and Kai say the house is abandoned—a word that slides out of their mouths like sweet oil..." tinyurl.com/5bm6cjcx

Stronger Than a Tornado — Ghost Parachute

“I bet you’re a scaredy cat and wouldn’t dare go inside the house,” Rumy says, her noodle arms crossed. Kai whizzes on his new bike around us. Never set foot in the corner lot house, my Maman said eve...

tinyurl.com

We are happy to announce the winners of our 2025 fiction contest! Congrats to Pegah Ouji @pegahouji.bsky.social, who won 1st prize; congrats as well to Rebecca Kilroy, 2nd; Shahriar Shaams, 3rd; and Yara Zgheib, honorable mention. We are so honored to publish their work!

You are going to love our new story by @marioaliberto3.bsky.social! Check out “Counting to Ten in Japanese.” lost-balloon.com/2026/07/15/c...

Counting to Ten in Japanese by Mario Aliberto III

Ichi, ni, san, shi… Benny’s only been a Wal-Mart stockboy a couple of weeks, part time after school, and he’s already managed to screw it up. He grinds his teeth, literally bites his tongue, listen…

lost-balloon.com

It was a delight to celebrate the release of Liz's collection in this reading alongside such wonderful writers! Thank you @turnandwork.com for this!

Turn and Work (Hugh)@turnandwork.com · last mo.

(2/3) More from the Liz Rosen chapbook launch: Pegah Ouji @pegahouji.bsky.social Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social ...and of course, Elizabeth Rosen @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social Killer event, hosted by @sandandgravelpress.bsky.social Links to stories by each author here:

Looking forward to this anthology! and so grateful to have a piece in it

Flash Fiction Online@flashfictiononline.bsky.social · 2mo ago

✨COVER REVEAL! ✨We’re super excited our “RESIST” anthology, a collection of resistance-themed flash fiction, is coming out Monday, June 15th!! 🎉 Edited by: @wordrat.bsky.social This cover was designed for us by Andy Cotnam. All proceeds will be donated to the nonprofit Waging Nonviolence.

My new flash non-fiction piece that was published at @tahomareview.bsky.social a big thank you to all the editors. It's about my abiding love for my grandmother and her seeds. tahomaliteraryreview.com/selections/_...

Scattered Seeds - Tahoma Literary Review

My grandmother plucked seeds wherever she went—tucked them away in her black Mantou pockets like future promises. After a walk through Sadee roundabout,

tahomaliteraryreview.com

Flash contributor @pegahouji.bsky.social and poetry contributor Joan Kwon Glass stopped by the booth! 👏

“You’re a daughter of a five-hundred-year-old eucalyptus tree, planted by the ancient ruins of Persepolis,” my grandmother tells me" This is such a brilliant flash from @pegahouji.bsky.social; so deep and rich and layered aaww.org/the-world-ac...

The World According to My Grandmother

Do we need a man? I want to ask her, but her eyes are bright like poppies in summer heat.

aaww.org

Working on a story for this book with @lindzmcleod.bsky.social was an incredible learning experience and now the book is on the longlist for British Science Fiction awards. The project is a testimony to the power of collaboration!

Lindz McLeod - THE MISEDUCATION OF CAROLINE BINGLEY is out now!@lindzmcleod.bsky.social · 7mo ago

This book is now a British Science Fiction Association awards longlister! Get it while it's hot! (it's always hot)

Grateful to have three stories on this list and congratulations to everyone!

SmokeLong Quarterly@smokelong.bsky.social · 7mo ago

The SmokeLong Workshop Prize Long List just went live. It has been a mountain of great work. We received just over 400 entries from our workshop participants in 2025. Congratulations to all! www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...

"Thinking through—rather than just thinking—is important. A thought or an idea is never that precious." harpers.org/archive/2024...

The Seventy Percent, by Yiyun Li

On minor characters and human possibility

harpers.org

The 2026 lit mag rankings are now available from my website! They include an overall ranking, as well as separate rankings for fiction, flash fiction, non-fiction and poetry. If you find these helpful, please show your support by liking & sharing 🙏

"These ersatz versions of making and experiencing art are based on satisfying “preferences,” on the idea of art as comfort, tool, or escape—in sum, art as something you buy and sell or that you use in some “productive” way." yalereview.org/article/namw...

Namwali Serpell: "Critical Navel-Gazing"

If criticism is in crisis, it’s not the critic’s problem, argues Namwali Serpell.

yalereview.org

It was truly an honor and a privilege to work with @lindzmcleod.bsky.social on a fiction and non-fiction piece for this book and I can't wait to read the other chapters by incredible writers! @stanchion.bsky.social

Stanchion@stanchion.bsky.social · 10mo ago

An Honour & A Privilege with @lindzmcleod.bsky.social is at the printer! Pre-order now from Stanchion to get a H&P free bookmark delivered with the most innovative craft writing book you've ever experienced. Discounted UK shipping is available! www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...

If you have a writer in your life and you'd like them to know that you care about their ambitions, may I suggest ordering a copy of my collaborative craft anthology, An Honour And A Privilege, as a Christmas present? (trust me, you'll get the MOST brownie points)

Thank you to the editors @epochliterary.com not only for giving this story a home but continuing to share it with others!

EPOCH@epochliterary.com · 10mo ago

Here are our @pushcartprize.bsky.social noms for 2025! Thanks and congrats to Sandra Dolores Gómez Amador, @fmstringer.bsky.social, @justintaylor.bsky.social, @shimmer.bsky.social, @pegahouji.bsky.social, and @tmcallister.bsky.social for this great work.

Here are our @pushcartprize.bsky.social noms for 2025! Thanks and congrats to Sandra Dolores Gómez Amador, @fmstringer.bsky.social, @justintaylor.bsky.social, @shimmer.bsky.social, @pegahouji.bsky.social, and @tmcallister.bsky.social for this great work.

Grateful to have been part of Writing Workshops Community. What they say about the value of a writing community has been very true in my experience. writingworkshops.com/blogs/news/p...

Pegah Ouji Named 2025 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow

WritingWorkshops.com alumna Pegah Ouji has been named a 2025 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow. Celebrating her achievement and literary journey.

writingworkshops.com

Thank you for reading the story! @lorifontanes.bsky.social

LM “Gory” Fontanes 👻@lorifontanes.bsky.social · 12mo ago

@pegahouji.bsky.social! just discovered this 👏👏👏story heartbreaking & lovely with the precision of craft I would expect from @smokelong.bsky.social fam! emergeliteraryjournal.com/no-place-lik...

@janeciab.bsky.social talks to Joan Silber: “I’ve never been a writer who knows what she’s doing before she sets out.”

Joan Silber on the Process of Discovery, Fiction About Friendship, and the Meaning of Mercy

Joan Silber is a contemporary genius at creating artful stories of a multitude of characters who ricochet in cunning ways, crossing generations and continents. I named her 2017 novel Improvement a …

buff.ly

I am so hyped for all you to see this book, I honestly can't wait

Stanchion@stanchion.bsky.social · 12mo ago

First blurb is in for @lindzmcleod.bsky.social's collaborative craft writing book An Honour & A Privilege, from the great author & publisher Michael Wheaton of @autofocusbooks.bsky.social. www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...

Received my contributor copy of @epochliterary.com latest issue with my story called Untouchables. Thanks to @jrobertlennon.com and other staff! www.epochliterary.com/featuredfict...

Received my contributor copy of @epochliterary.com latest issue with my story called Untouchables. Thanks to @jrobertlennon.com and other staff! www.epochliterary.com/featuredfict...

I have a new short story our in EPOCH magazine. Reverse immigration, cemetery lives and reading Harry Potter in Tehran. www.epochliterary.com/featuredfict...

We are open for subs!

EPOCH@epochliterary.com · last yr.

Volume 72, Issue 2 is out now! 192pp. Cover art is Transit, Acrylic gouache paint on paper, by David Pjecha. Stop by the shop for a print ($10) or PDF ($7) copy. Complete contributor list in the image alt. Subs for 73.1 open in a week! www.epochliterary.com/archive

I have a new short story our in EPOCH magazine. Reverse immigration, cemetery lives and reading Harry Potter in Tehran. www.epochliterary.com/featuredfict...

I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to benefit from this fellowship with PEN America. pen.org/press-releas...

Nine Writers Chosen as 2025 Emerging Voices Fellows from Record Applicant Pool  - PEN America

For the fourth consecutive year, PEN America's Emerging Voices Fellowship received a record number of applicants.

pen.org

Read @pegahouji.bsky.social 's mind-reeling "Hayoula" on our site! "She reads her daughter’s books twice, running her index finger along the edges, hoarding all the paper cuts for herself. She scours the pages for Hayoula claw prints..." Art: “Llorando a Rodón en Butoh; 2” by Jorge Luna

I have all that I know about flash from this warm and encouraging community at @smokelong.bsky.social and here you can read some pieces published by people in the workshop in April.

SmokeLong Quarterly@smokelong.bsky.social · last yr.

We're so proud of our workshop participants. Help us celebrate the publications reported to us in April! www.smokelong.com/smokelong-wo...