The Milk House
@themilkhouse.bsky.social
Literary journal of rural writing and experience, edited by @penofryandennis.bsky.social
"The bar with the tractor on the second floor has a stage that attracts honkytonk musicians, the kind of patrons flypaper adores..." This week on #TheMilkHouse: Honkytonk Whiskey and other poems by James Lowell. Read them here: www.themilkhouse.org/honkytonk-wh...
Honkytonk Whiskey and Other Poems by James Lowell – The Milk House
"The original honkytonks’ broken window / is the only air conditioning this buggy building..." Honkytonk Whiskey by James Lowell.
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This week on #TheMilkHouse: A husband and wife negotiate their marriage the best they can in Julie Esther Fisher's heartfelt short story "Bittersweet." Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/bittersweet-...
Bittersweet by Julie Esther Fisher – The Milk House
In "Bittersweet" by Julie Esther Fisher, a husband and wife negotiate their marriage with the means in front of them.
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The Milk House is very sorry to hear of the passing of Laura Lewis, the first winner of the Best in Rural Writing Contest. Here are her words: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy9w...
Leaving by Laura Lewis | 2023 Best in Rural Writing Contest | Best Essay | The Milk House
YouTube video by The Milk House
youtube.com
Thanks to @dailyyonder.bsky.social for being a great resource for rural America, as well as a valuable partner in the 2026 Best in Rural Writing Contest. Deadline for the contest: September 1st. To enter: themilkhouse.org/contest dailyyonder.com/submissions-...
Best in Rural Writing Contest – The Milk House
Enter the Best in Rural Writing Contest to win cash prizes and gain exposure. Fiction and nonfiction are eligible.
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This week on The Milk House: A person searches all types of settings for a place to belong, in "Pigeons" by Surnaí Molly--shortlisted in the 2025 #BestinRuralWriting Contest. Read "Pigeons" here: www.themilkhouse.org/pigeons-by-s...
Pigeons by Surnaí Molloy – The Milk House
A person searches for a place to belong in "Pigeons" by Surnaí Molloy, shortlisted in the 2025 Best in Rural Writing Contest.
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Dust catches in my throat between the rows, following the windrows— line after long line... This week on The Milk House: "Absolution for Two" by @lauradehartyoung.bsky.social. Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/absolution-f...
Absolution for Two by Laura DeHart Young – The Milk House
"Dust catches in my throat / between the rows, / following the windrows— / line after long line..." -Absolution for Two by Laura DeHart Young
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This week on #TheMilkHouse: Hunting becomes an opportunity for introspection, in Luther Allen's essay "A Place and Reason to Hunt," shortlisted for the 2025 #BestinRuralWriting Contest. Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/a-place-and-...
A Place and a Reason to Hunt by Luther Allen – The Milk House
Luther Allen contemplates how man's relationship with nature is navigated in the act of hunting, in his essay "A Place and Reason to Hunt."
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The judge of last year's #BestinRuralWriting Contest, @jamesgwriter.bsky.social, has come out with a cracking novel. #TheLightning is a tender, atmospheric read about the interconnectedness of people and nature. Fast-paced, engaging, it comes highly recommended!
Thanks to @agriland.bsky.social for spreading the word about the 2026 Best in Rural Writing Contest. Every year, shortlisted entries come from all over the world! Deadline is Sept 1st. Enter here: themilkhouse.org/contest www.agriland.ie/farming-news...
2026 'Best in Rural Writing' contest opens for submissions
The deadline is midnight GMT on September 1, with the contest open to writers of all levels of experience from all around the world
agriland.ie
Congratulations to #MilkHouseContributor Neil Tully for this debut novel The Visit. The Visit is an excellent portrayal of rural Ireland in the 60s on the eve of a momentous occasion.
This week on #TheMilkHouse: Two people must reach out of their comfort zone to negotiate a 1960s classroom in the short story "Foreigners" by Gwylym Ford. Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/foreigners-b...
Foreigners by Gwylym Ford – The Milk House
In "Foreigners" by Gwylym Ford, two people force themselves outside of their comfort zone in a classroom in order to surive.
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In partnership with @dailyyonder.bsky.social, The Milk House is happy to announce that entries for the 2026 Best in Rural Writing Contest are now open! Deadline: September 1st Judge: Will Weaver Accepting fiction and nonfiction. More details can be found at: themilkhouse.org/contest.
"Thirsty. I drink the desolate hours whole tall on the backbone of tomorrow..." Read "On the Spine of Time" by J.M. Dedeiros. www.themilkhouse.org/on-the-spine...
On the Spine of Time by J.M. Medeiros – The Milk House
"Thirsty. I drink the desolate hours whole / tall on the backbone of tomorrow..." The Spine of Time by J.M. Medeiros
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This week on #TheMilkHouse: In order to make a new start where she grew up, Leanna must accept new allies while facing old challenges. Read "Possum" by Elijah Bayuk here: www.themilkhouse.org/possum-by-el...
Possum by Elijah Bayuk – The Milk House
In the short story "Possum" by Elijah Bayuk, the past threatens to interfere with the present in a small southern town.
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It’s strange how things come back around, two different times and places, yet the name’s the same and they’re blood-bound... This week on The Milk House: Enjoy two poems by Thomas Alan Orr. www.themilkhouse.org/two-poems-by...
Two Poems by Thomas Alan Orr – The Milk House
Jericho Road “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho . . . .” Come harvest time the sunny chill on Jericho Road finds them in the barn, the two Sim brothers, Bill and Beau, replacing deck plat...
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This week on The Milk House: A wife asks a husband to make good on his word. Enjoy "You Won't Get a Second Chance" by Cathy Adams. Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/you-wont-get...
You Won’t Get a Second Chance by Cathy Adams – The Milk House
A faithful wife helps a husband fulfill his prophesy in Cathy Adams's short story "You Won't Get a Second Chance."
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This week on #TheMilkHouse: A woman takes a moment to ponder where's she's been and what comes next. Read "In our Old Barn, I Ponder a Question we each Must Ask" by @writergailstrock.bsky.social. www.themilkhouse.org/in-our-old-b...
In our Old Barn, I Ponder a Question we each Must Ask by Gail Strock – The Milk House
Enjoy a moment of reflection on our fleeting place on this ear. Read "In our Old Barn, I Ponder a Question we each Must Ask" by Gail Strock.
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This week on #TheMilkHouse: The legacy of a fruit farm hangs in the balance in Emma Tozer's short story "Scions." Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/the-scions-b...
The Scions by Emma Tozer – The Milk House
“Never seen a Laney miss the market,” said the farmers market manager. He stood at the edge of the faded blue canopy and rested a clipboard on his hip. “That must mean it’s serious.” He leaned forward...
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This week on The Milk House: A haunting turns problematic, in the short story "Narcissus" by Róisín O'Grady. Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/narcissus-by...
Narcissus by Róisín O'Grady – The Milk House
Since she stopped attending mass, Kitty’s mother has taken to haunting her. But only on Sundays, the smug bitch. It was a hard decision to stop attending mass as Kitty’s contribution is duly needed in...
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We're excited to announce that @minnesotawill.bsky.social is the judge of the 2026 #BestinRuralWriting Contest. Will is the author of Sweet Land and Red Earth, White Earth (both turned into films), as well as many more great books. Learn more about Will here: www.themilkhouse.org/2026-best-in...
This week on #TheMilkHouse: A boy tries to make sense of his unusual pet in the essay "A Snake Named Snake" by Daragh Fleming. Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/a-snake-name...
A Snake Named Snake by Daragh Fleming – The Milk House
Daragh Fleming writes about an unusual pet and how it helped him understand his youth in the essay "A Snake Named Snake."
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This week on The Milk House: A young man on the verge of change gets valuable advice from his mother, in William Gary Cole's essay "Wild Strawberries." Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/wild-strawbe...
Wild Strawberries by William Gary Cole – The Milk House
In the essay "Wild Strawberries" by William Gary Cole, a boy and his mother help each other negotiate the world around them.
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This week on #TheMilkHouse: An Irish man has to decide how an unfortunate incidence is going to shape him, in the short story "Rained Off" by Michael Fitzgerald. Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/rained-off-b...
Rained Off by Michael Fitzgerald – The Milk House
A fatal accident leaves a quiet man with plenty to think about in the short story "Rained Off" by Michael Fitzgerald.
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This week on #TheMilkHouse: After tasked with a serious responsibility, @sarafleming.bsky.social takes a moment to rest and reflect, in her excerpt "Fields and Streams." Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/fields-and-s...
Fields and Streams by Sara Fleming – The Milk House
Sarah Fleming finds a moment of piece away from the responsibilities she has suddenly been tasked with, in her excerpt "Field and Streams."
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This week on #TheMilkHouse: Rural community resilience takes on a new meaning, in the short story "American Testament" by Michael Lundy. Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/american-tes...
American Testament by Michael Lundy – The Milk House
A community comes together to take care of one of its biggest problems, in Michael Lundy's short story "American Testament."
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I'm proud of what Samantha Rogers, Alma Antón, Madelyn Pendry and I put together. There are some amazing rural voices in this collection. If you want to support #TheMilkHouse and get to read some memorable writing, get your copy here: www.themilkhouse.org/product/2026...
This week on #TheMilkHouse: A childhood in snow is pondered in Tom Milburn's essay "Winter on the Farm: A Memoir." Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/winter-on-th...
Winter on the Farm: A Memoir by Tom Milburn – The Milk House
Tom Milburn reflects on the season and his childhood growing up in snow in his essay "Winter on the Farm: A Memoir."
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The editor of The Milk House, @penofryandennis.bsky.social, talks about what the journal has been up to, as well as his memoir #BarnGothic in this interview with Successful Farming. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TN-...
From Dairy Farm to Author: The Story Behind Ryan Dennis's The Milk House
YouTube video by Successful Farming
youtube.com
This week on #TheMilkHouse: A father and son's final moments together recounts their familial past, in Dan Tamblyn's short story "Pour Three Fingers and Grab Me a Beer." www.themilkhouse.org/pour-three-f...
Pour Three Fingers and Grab me a Beer by Dan Tamblyn – The Milk House
In "Pour Me Three Fingers and Grab me a Beer" by Dan Tamblyn, a father and son make the most of the time they have left together.
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In July, a rush to get dry harvest in the barn before a summer storm, our family of girls pirouetted from housework to hay wagons... This week on #TheMilkHouse: "In Long Exhale and Other Poetry" by Nancy Huxtable Mohr. www.themilkhouse.org/in-long-exha...
In Long Exhale and Other Poetry by Nancy Huxtable Mohr – The Milk House
"Our farm in long exhale—heat beats harder / on these acres. Fickle rain. Dormant acres / of wild grass..." Nancy Huxtable Mohr.
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