we have a very interesting micro piece by Myles Varga ! i really like the writing style in this piece -- very short, dense sentences that create a weird dislocated dream in my head check it out & see what u think ! xraylitmag.com/after-self-r...

After Self Rorschach #3 Flipped Upside Down by Myles Varga

I am in the gas station watching the CRT television. I hand the cashier a hundred. Terrible smokes. He cashes the bill, takes snail shells from the till. Hands them to me.  Gun starts the horses. Bono...

xraylitmag.com

we have a story by J.D. Hosemann ! it's about a man attending the funeral of an old friend's daughter, where he struggles to find meaningful words of comfort... read this story ! xraylitmag.com/ceremony-by-...

Ceremony by J.D. Hosemann

I’m on my way to my friend’s daughter’s funeral. The day is bright and still expanding.  Above the interstate, it’s all skies and treetops and turkey vultures gliding. I take the Springridge Road exit...

xraylitmag.com

we have a story by Julie Morse ! it's about a highschool boy who starts taking adderall & experiences an "amphetaminized version of himself" an interesting story with great atmosphere & details xraylitmag.com/ants-marchin...

Ants Marching by Julie Morse

Noah’s never any good without coffee. Two blocks from the high school is a Dunkin’ Donuts, and he races there every day before school so he’s five minutes late to class. He chugs the large black coffe...

xraylitmag.com

micros and nonfiction still open!

X-R-A-Y Literary Press@xraylitmag.bsky.social · last wk.

flash fiction & micros will have the highest cap -- now is good time to submit flash & micros send us yr coolest & most interesting, work ! we are a place where cool & interesting things appear. thank u ! thank u !! xray.submittable.com/submit

we have 10 new pieces by the master of madness, the giant of gab, the legendary writer Mike Topp !! thrills, chills, & laughs await ! just a click away xraylitmag.com/in-the-begin...

In The Beginning by Mike Topp

MARATHON  I read that this year’s New York City Marathon will be run single file, to kind of shake things up.  FOUND  I found a hat on the sidewalk and I think it might belong to you or someone with a...

xraylitmag.com

submissions will be open on Saturday August 1st, at 9am central, until our monthly cap is met we will open all categories with a cap higher than usual, so more ppl get a chance to send their work -- things fill up very quickly. xray.submittable.com/submit

we have a very stylish, dark, & sexy story Olive Mills <3 it's about two ppl who are spending the night in an abandoned Soviet-era summer camp -- their attraction to each other becomes increasingly feral such a good read ! xraylitmag.com/volchitsa-by...

Volchitsa by Olive Mills

For a dollar, paid to a taciturn man from the nearest town, hikers could pass the night in the abandoned Soviet summer camp. Mattresses were strewn across the base of a drained indoor swimming pool wh...

xraylitmag.com

this story by Joseph Coward @josephcoward.bsky.social is so well written ! it's about a father & son. beautiful written scenes & details about what it's like to take care of a child -- such a good story, read it pronto ! xraylitmag.com/plan-one-by-...

Plan One by Joseph Coward

25th November As I spoon potato and spinach into Henry’s open mouth the 5Live DJ stops talking about death tourism and asks, ‘to what lengths have you gone to get back something  you’ve lost?’ It is a...

xraylitmag.com

$20 is an excerpt from @mikeandrelczyk.bsky.social's fantastic novel, Submarines, published in an excellent litmag, @xraylitmag.bsky.social xraylitmag.com/20-by-mike-a...

$20 by Mike Andrelczyk

I was standing in front of the Palms wearing sunglasses. My pupils were dilated. Each one was like the black spot in the palm of the hand of the blind man from Treasure Island. I was trying to be cool...

xraylitmag.com

we have a fantastic story by Michael Farfel ! it's about some art museum attendants who find a mark on a painting & get together to investigate i love the ending ! great characters & moments that will make u laugh xraylitmag.com/patch-of-sun...

Patch of Sun by Michael Farfel

“Lurch to dispatch.” “Go ahead.” “Hey dispatch, we’ve got a problem up in European.” “What do you mean problem?” “I missed that last part, can you repeat?” “What problem?” “Yeah, up in European.” “Lur...

xraylitmag.com

read this story by Ben Carter Olcott @bencarterolcott.bsky.social ! it's about a couple who've been living in an airbnb for a week, b/c an "emergency event" has made them flee their home great style in this one ! w/ long sentences that are equally funny & brooding xraylitmag.com/how-happy-th...

How Happy The Home by Ben Carter Olcott

And so I was walking, as if away from something, although there was nowhere to go, nowhere to leave to, only the road outside the Airbnb to walk down once again. It was dusty, a thin strip of asphalt ...

xraylitmag.com

Spoke with Scott Laudati about his recent release, Rainbow Road. “There’s a song I’ve been searching for my whole life.” Head over to @xraylitmag.bsky.social! xraylitmag.com/rainbow-road...

Rainbow Road: Rebecca Gransden interviews Scott Laudati

A wearied resilience resounds throughout Rainbow Road (Bone Machine, 2026), the latest poetry collection from Scott Laudati. A gathering of poems written loosely about Laudati’s travels across various...

xraylitmag.com

i love this interview with Scott Laudati ! a must read a very open, honest, & beautifully written look at someone who chose the artistic path, the adventurous path...don't miss this one ! get his new book 'Rainbow Road' ! xraylitmag.com/rainbow-road...

Rainbow Road: Rebecca Gransden interviews Scott Laudati

A wearied resilience resounds throughout Rainbow Road (Bone Machine, 2026), the latest poetry collection from Scott Laudati. A gathering of poems written loosely about Laudati’s travels across various...

xraylitmag.com

My first novel “Submarines” officially launched today! Thanks to everyone who bought a copy, reviewed it, told a friend, or made a post about. Thanks to Aaron, Ben, Graham, Jillian and Zac for blurbing it and Alan and Malarkey for publishing.

You can check out “$20” - the last and weirdest excerpt of “Submarines” - out on xray today. And shout out @xraylitmag.bsky.social for also publishing the very first piece of writing I did for “Submarines” (called “Dog Tracing”) a few years ago. 👁️ ✋🏻 🌴 🍄 🦜 ⚾️ 🏨 🥜 xraylitmag.com/20-by-mike-a...

$20 by Mike Andrelczyk

I was standing in front of the Palms wearing sunglasses. My pupils were dilated. Each one was like the black spot in the palm of the hand of the blind man from Treasure Island. I was trying to be cool...

xraylitmag.com

Excerpt of the excerpt

Read an excerpt from @mikeandrelczyk.bsky.social’s debut novel, Submarines, which coincidentally released today and is available from the malarkey website as well as Amazon, Asterism, Bookshop, B&N and those other places.

X-R-A-Y Literary Press@xraylitmag.bsky.social · 2w ago

we have an excerpt from 'Submarines' - a new novel by the great Mike Andrelczyk @mikeandrelczyk.bsky.social ! '$20' is surely the best short story about working at a hotel while tripping on mushrooms that u will read this year Mike Andrelczyk has style & sauce xraylitmag.com/20-by-mike-a...

we have an excerpt from 'Submarines' - a new novel by the great Mike Andrelczyk @mikeandrelczyk.bsky.social ! '$20' is surely the best short story about working at a hotel while tripping on mushrooms that u will read this year Mike Andrelczyk has style & sauce xraylitmag.com/20-by-mike-a...

$20 by Mike Andrelczyk

I was standing in front of the Palms wearing sunglasses. My pupils were dilated. Each one was like the black spot in the palm of the hand of the blind man from Treasure Island. I was trying to be cool...

xraylitmag.com

What are some of your favorite journals/zines? Some of my favorites: @splitlipthemag.bsky.social Strange Hymnal @rfpress.bsky.social @burialmagazine.bsky.social @barrelhouse.bsky.social @xraylitmag.bsky.social @ninthletter.bsky.social

the very talented Emmalea Russo is interviewed by Ava Sharahy about her new novel 'The Moon Papers' !! the book is about an arts collective that launches a second moon into earth's atomosphere, called 'Moon2' a great conversation - read it today ! xraylitmag.com/lunar-depart...

Lunar Departures: Ava Sharahy Interviews Emmalea Russo

An arts collective sets out to launch a second moon, dubbed “Moon2”, into the Earth’s atmosphere, an act in which even the group itself is unsure of the full consequences. What follows is The Moon Pap...

xraylitmag.com

My piece "Appraisal" was longlisted! Thank you @xraylitmag.bsky.social 🥳

X-R-A-Y Literary Press@xraylitmag.bsky.social · last mo.

thanks to Wigleaf @wigleaf.bsky.social for picking some of our stories ! congrats to the authors ! wigleaf.com

It’s me! 🥰

X-R-A-Y Literary Press@xraylitmag.bsky.social · last mo.

thanks to Wigleaf @wigleaf.bsky.social for picking some of our stories ! congrats to the authors ! wigleaf.com

Idk if they’re right for what you’re describing or not, but XRAY is opening the evening for a longer story. I think I’m gonna send em an older story that I still really like!

X-R-A-Y Literary Press@xraylitmag.bsky.social · last mo.

subs will be open tomorrow, July 1st, at 7pm central time ! subs usually fill up very quickly, often within the hour send us something weird or cool or beautiful, or all three <3 thank u

thanks to Wigleaf @wigleaf.bsky.social for picking some of our stories ! congrats to the authors ! wigleaf.com

subs will be open tomorrow, July 1st, at 7pm central time ! subs usually fill up very quickly, often within the hour send us something weird or cool or beautiful, or all three <3 thank u

@xraylitmag.bsky.social was kind enough to publish some of my flash fiction. I wrote it in a cab at 4am. I suggest you read it in a similar situation. xraylitmag.com/air-for-baby...

Air for Baby’s Breath by Chris L. Terry

The news site blurred the photo. A two-year-old refugee, drowned and washed ashore. At his desk, the new dad clicked to see the picture. He was feeling bigger things than ever and wanted to press the ...

xraylitmag.com

Pride month is almost over, so it's time to post this banger from @xraylitmag.bsky.social. A few friends expressed concern for me after I wrote this (lol, I love you my sweet summer children), but real ones were like HELL YEAH. xraylitmag.com/elaine-by-lj...

ELAINE by LJ Pemberton

The more of Elaine he had had, the less it felt like she belonged to him at all. Besides, he said, I have learned that even possession is a kind of disappointment.

xraylitmag.com

LJ Pemberton@ljabouttown.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Another for pride month, about two sisters. Ngl, this one makes me cry sometimes. maudlinhouse.net/survivors/

Hot damn, this Tyler Dempsey essay in @xraylitmag.bsky.social is one of the best things I've read in a while. BIG rec. “Oh, yea?” he said. “I used to think I wanted to be a writer. But then I realized I didn’t actually like writers that much. So, I decided I’d be a character instead.”

Channeling by Tyler Dempsey

Samuel Peters Brown—a stereotypically thin dude with disheveled hair and that beard-with-no-mustache combination of the late-1800’s—was a descendant of the Mayflower and what you might call “uber succ...

xraylitmag.com

This month's #Mondettes picked by @nomad-sw18.bsky.social is on the theme of games as a way of telling a story slant ⚡Ten wonderful flash fictions 🔍Ten splashes of analysis 🪴Three fantastic prompts to get you writing mondettes.substack.com/p/june-2026

June 2026

Ten stories picked by Cole Beauchamp

mondettes.substack.com

You have a great selection here, Hugh. Thank you for including The Hitchhiker by @jekwriter.bsky.social. Congrats to @jrostopovich.bsky.social and Kate Catinella @xraylitmag.bsky.social ‬@turnandwork.com‬ #fiction #readingcommunity #writingcommunity

Turn and Work (Hugh)@turnandwork.com · 2mo ago

...the shortlist 2/2: with Jennifer Ostopovich @jrostopovich.bsky.social and Kate Catinella in @xraylitmag.bsky.social ‬ Jessica Klimesh @jekwriter.bsky.social in @fictivedream.bsky.social links to all the stories here: