"That’s the thing about shame—it doesn’t teach you anything. It just sits on your chest like a beetle the size of a Doberman and dares you to move." Read "Not This Time" by Mathieu Parsy and be moved. Art: “The End Of Innocence” by Matthew Fertel
Peatsmoke Journal
@psmokejournal.bsky.social
Online literary journal committed to diverse voices, accessibility, and to writers. Fiction, nonfiction, poems, flash, hybrid, art. peatsmokejournal.com
Exciting news! @Wigleaf Top 50 and the long list feature many Peatsmoke contributors! Congratulations to all!
I’m thrilled to have a new story out in @psmokejournal.bsky.social today! Many thanks to the editors for giving this one a lovely home. And, I’m obsessed with the gorgeous artwork paired with my piece! I hope you’ll give it a read and enjoy the entire issue.
In the Blood — Peatsmoke
Suzanne Hicks I spent more and more time watching the sun go down alone, lying in the grass or climbing the tree that shed helicopters in fall.
peatsmokejournal.com
We are thrilled to announce the release of our Summer 2026 Issue! Dive into these stunning new pieces. FLASH 🪻“In the Blood” by Suzanne Hicks 🪻“Night Swimming” by JacobDimpsey 🪻“Not This Time” by Mathieu Parsy
Another oldie-but-goodie... Don't forget to enter our Summer 2026 Editor's Prize Contest before July 15th!
As submissions roll in, we are looking back on some of our previous contest winners. The Summer 2026 Editor's Prize Contest is LIVE and waiting for your entry! 😉
"We, who are daily dissecting network topologies, cannot forsake optimalities." Read, "Slightly Hungover Co-workers Prefer Communicating Through Slack" by Subhravanu Das, and only reply "LOVE" because we know you'll love it! Art: “Bar-Belle” by Devon Balwit
☀️The Summer 2026 Editor's Prize Contest is officially OPEN! Submit your work through our website! We can't wait to hear from you! ☀️ www.peatsmokejournal.com/submit
Submit -- Peatsmoke: A Literary Journal — Peatsmoke
Read our submission guidelines to submit your fiction, poetry, and nonfiction writing
peatsmokejournal.com
Peatsmoke Journal@psmokejournal.bsky.social · 2mo agoMark your calendars! The Summer 2026 Editor's Prize Contest will open June 15th! We cannot wait to see what you submit!
Mark your calendars! The Summer 2026 Editor's Prize Contest will open June 15th! We cannot wait to see what you submit!
"That their idea of intimacy is a knuckle ballad sung in a broken key and a brief sweat-scarred bisection of your body from its soul." Read "Boys Like Buckshot" by Christian Fuller to feel haunted. Art: “(t)rust” by @abbiedollwrites.bsky.social
"'We’ll be fine,' I say, smiling at her, trying to convey an air of capable confidence." What's your level of "fine"? Read All the Nights Are Long Now by Mollie Hogan. Art: “Image 9” by David S. Rubenstein
"What if this shitty start to our first date is just the funny story we will tell later, a month, a year, a lifetime down the road?" Read "If This Isn’t Your Dream Date, Then Tell Me What Is" by Katie Todd today! Art: “Crowned Chase” by Rebecca Joe
"...maybe she doesn’t want to be soothed, not now, not yet. Isn’t ready for a cure." Be careful what you say yes too... except reading "Instructions For Living a Life" by Rebecca Burton. Art: “Gap Year” by Ana Prundaru
In case you missed it- our Spring 2026 Issue is out and ready for you to dive in!
'I began collecting their shadows in a notebook, marking days when the cooing grew loudest, or when I’d find a feather stuck to my socks.' A beauty to enjoy by @sarpsozdinler.bsky.social in @psmokejournal.bsky.social www.peatsmokejournal.com/spring-2026-...
The Starling — Peatsmoke
Sarp Sozdinler The room filled with honeyed light, or maybe the syrupy memory of it, and the birds gathered in the corners, clicking their beaks in gratitude.
peatsmokejournal.com
Sometimes I think they are just the shape of her silence. Beautiful! @sarpsozdinler.bsky.social @psmokejournal.bsky.social www.peatsmokejournal.com/spring-2026-...
The Starling — Peatsmoke
Sarp Sozdinler The room filled with honeyed light, or maybe the syrupy memory of it, and the birds gathered in the corners, clicking their beaks in gratitude.
peatsmokejournal.com
The softness of your hand. The way it led me through wire fences and buckthorn thickets without a scratch. So good! Kyle Weik @psmokejournal.bsky.social www.peatsmokejournal.com/spring-2026-...
I’ll Never Forget — Peatsmoke
Kyle Weik The clouds storming in faster. My heart racing as you climbed higher and higher and higher. Your backpack slipping and falling back to earth.
peatsmokejournal.com
Another stunning piece from @psmokejournal.bsky.social they’re on 🔥 this week! @kyleisamu.bsky.social‘s piece is stunning, and the ending! Ohmigosh, heartbreaking and perfect! 🤩
Belinda Rowe@belindarowe.bsky.social · 4mo ago'How you swept up our shoes, a backpack from under the couch, and took my hand. The softness of your hand. The way it led me through wire fences and buckthorn thickets without a scratch.' This beauty by @kyleisamu.bsky.social in @psmokejournal.bsky.social !! www.peatsmokejournal.com/spring-2026-...
We are thrilled to announce the release of our Spring 2026 Issue! What a great time of year to read something new! NONFICTION 🦋“The Language We Share” by Akemi Ueda 🦋“Phil Connors is on the Spectrum” by Jeffrey-Michael Kane
"She believes in karmic retribution and she believes in real love stories." Read "Nothing Ever Happens" by Edie Patterson, and be in love with everything. Art: “Perch” by Lauren Suchenski
"In the distance, the fire kept burning. There was nothing else for it to do." Read "Mother Talk" by Camille Pirtle, accompanied by a mini-interview with the author! Art: "Around the Riverbend” by David Summerfield (originally published in The Words Faire Literary Magazine)
"Does he understand what I’m saying? Does any of this mean anything to him?" Riveting and utterly intriguing. Read "URGENT: New Home Needed" by Jess Peng today! Art: “Atleast Once A Year” by Shanmukh Gollu
It's alive!! BODIES IN BAGS is out there in the world. With another kickass cover from @egallagher.bsky.social It's not going to be for everyone, but if you're into dark, gritty crime fiction, I hope you'll check it out. bookshop.org/p/books/bodi...
Bodies in Bags: Stories
Stories
bookshop.org
8⃣ Tuesdays til launch! 🌊I'M THE UNDERTOW Fun Fact Countdown!
"He looks tired but peaceful, like a man who has finally found something to hold." Read "Good Grief, Florida Man" by Bethany Bruno to find out what's behind the headline. Art: “Even the Ocean Has Ears” by Carella Keil (originally published in The Storms Issue 2)
"Although both truth and utility change over time. In both directions." Dilemmas. Read "Central Time" by J. M. C. Kane Art: “Full Moon Over the Dom” by Nuala McEvoy
"So, together, she and the new boyfriend, they just weren’t “baby” type people, it seemed, or at least not earnest baby type people." Read "Baby" by Marie Buck and ponder your baby-ality. Art: "忠孝東路 Loyalty and Filial Piety East Road" by @acadialogue.bsky.social
"You feel hands that are not there, cold and clammy and pink, crawling up your thighs, spreading and pinching where your armor is not strong enough to protect you." Suit up in your armor and read "This Is How to Burn a Witch" by Aeka V. Joshi. Art: “Selene’s Horses” by Audrey Holmes
We'd like to extend our sincerest congratulations to @aniking.bsky.social for being chosen for the Monarch Queer Literary Awards!
