"We’re at an interesting point in history where the degree to which we are living online is almost equal to the degree we are living out in the world..." https://www.rfr.bz/b8268ca

My first ever Pushcart Prize nomination! I'm so incredibly honored! Wow. Stunned and in tears. Thank you so much @mudseasonreview.bsky.social!

"There’s some kind of magic growing up in east Iowa, always gazing across the river into Illinois, that lends itself to daydream and fantasy..." https://www.rfr.bz/b118481

Please join us in congratulating Leah Holbrook Sackett, creative nonfiction reader for Mud Season Review, on the release of her book Death Is a Hungry Angel! Join Anna in her isolation as she delves into the shadows of her new home and her heart to defeat the angel of death, Samael.

Reminder: Art and poetry submissions close soon! Visit mudseasonreview.com/submit to learn more. Please note: fiction and creative nonfiction submissions are currently closed due to high volume. Thanks for sending us your work!

Reminder: Art and poetry submissions close soon! Visit mudseasonreview.com/submit to learn more. Please note: fiction and creative nonfiction submissions are currently closed due to high volume. Thanks for sending us your work!

Mud Season Review is open for submissions from 10/1-10/31! Send us your best art, fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. To review the full guidelines, please visit mudseasonreview.com/submit.

"I’ve read so many stories of other survivors throughout the years – they made me feel seen, gave me hope, and made me feel less alone." Creative nonfiction reader Jen Bryant interviewed author Heather Marie Cline about transforming pain into purpose for Mud Season Review. 🔗 in comments!

Very happy to see my nonfiction story 'A Way Out of Nowhere' included in this week's Memoir Monday roundup by Memoir Land! open.substack.com/pub/memoirla...

"It is as if every layer of the visual world drives me to pick up a paintbrush, a stark white, smooth, blank canvas or board and begin to develop a new painting." See "Androgyny" and more from featured artist Jennifer Follman at mudseasonreview.com.

"Curling iron in hand, I’d stood my ground. For the first time, I’d fought back." Read the rest of "Dove" by Summer Hammond in our 10th anniversary issue. Link in comments! 🎨: "Samantha" by Judith Skillman

Mud Season Review is open for submissions from 10/1-10/31! Send us your best art, fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. To review the full guidelines, please visit mudseasonreview.com/submit.

My nonfiction story ‘A Way Out of Nowhere’ is now published in issue #79 of Mud Season Review. Dealing with themes such as abuse, isolation, poverty, generational cycles, escape, hope & how kindness can save lives - all through the eyes of a child: mudseasonreview.com/2025/09/nonf...

"My mind had gone into auto-pilot, and it was as if my feet were moving of their own accord." Read "A Way Out of Nowhere" by Heather Marie Cline in our 10th anniversary issue (link in comments). 📸: "Winter's Wonderment" by Gael Blake

"When Michael Jackson slides into my DMs asking for a bitcoin or two, I am sure that nothing sits on the other side of death." Read more poetry by Eli Karren in our 10th anniversary issue! Link in comments. 🎨: "The Deep Sleep" by Kathy Bruce.

Issue #79 marks 10 years of Mud Season Review! 🎉 Featuring artwork by Jennifer Follman, poetry by Eli Karren, fiction by Summer Hammond, creative Nonfiction by Heather Marie Cline, and letters from MSR co-founders Rebecca Starks and Danielle Thierry.

Please join us in welcoming our newest editors and readers to Mud Season Review. We're thrilled to have you on board! 🎉 And many thanks to our former editors Shalom Kasim, Jonah Meyer, and Michelle Quick. We're truly grateful for all of your hard work!

Two new interviews are up at Mud Season Review! Editors Michelle Quick and Lenore Weiss spoke with past MSR contributors Phi Phi AN and Sarah McKinley about their work and creative processes. Read them here: https://www.rfr.bz/b88e9fa

Submissions are open from July 1-31! Send us your best poetry, artwork, fiction, or creative nonfiction. We pay a small honorarium for accepted pieces. Visit mudseasonreview.com/submit to learn more. 🎨: "Oranges on the Train" by Josie Levin for Issue #78.

Mud Season Review is seeking volunteer readers for Poetry and Creative Nonfiction submissions! If you're interested in reviewing creative, thought-provoking work from emerging and established writers, this role is for you. Please contact Suzanne Guess to apply!

Submissions are open from July 1-31! Send us your best poetry, artwork, fiction, or creative nonfiction. We pay a small honorarium for accepted pieces. Visit mudseasonreview.com/submit to learn more. 🎨: "Oranges on the Train" by Josie Levin for Issue #78.

Issue 78 is here! Mud Season Review's latest edition features artwork by Josie Levin, poetry by Jae Newman, fiction by Linea Jantz, and creative nonfiction by Maggie Hart. Head to mudseasonreview.com to check it out! 🎨: "Just Like Popeye" by Josie Levin.

Become a Mud Season Review Volunteer Reader. Our volunteer readers carefully evaluate the submissions we receive and determine to recommend to the editorial team for consideration. Would you consider joining us? Email: [email protected] For more info.

Mud Season Review is looking for a new Managing Editor (a volunteer role). Primary responsibility: build and publish quarterly issues in WordPress. Candidates must have WordPress experience and be able to make routine tech updates. Email: [email protected]

Miss an issue of Mud Season Review? Browse our full archive at https://www.rfr.bz/bfbdcf1 🎨: Fernanda Morales Tovar for Issue 73. https://www.rfr.bz/b4ec53f

Submissions close today! There’s still time to send us your original art, poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by 4/30. https://www.rfr.bz/b16b1ab

Reminder: Our manuscript review service opens 5/1! We welcome full-length poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction manuscripts for review. Learn more here: https://www.rfr.bz/bd2c2fd

Submissions for issue #78 are still open! Send us your original art, poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by 4/30. https://www.rfr.bz/bac547c

“As Far as Half the Way to the Gateway 3" by Phi Phi AN, Issue 77's featured artist. 🔗 Visit us at mudseasonreview.com to view the full collection!

📣Submissions are open!📣 Send us your poetry, art, fiction, and creative nonfiction by 4/30. Full details at mudseasonreview.com/submit.

“Ninety students are arrested protesting at my prestigious alma mater. I flagellate myself for not joining their encampment, despite the distance. Am I a coward to not risk my body, despite the snarls in my half- working limbs?” 📝: Skylar Milkus 🎨: Kate Garklavs

I trust his judgment because he’s been swallowing swords since he was a teenager... Read "The Things We Swallow" https://www.rfr.bz/b50c7eb

"...Your life that isn’t yours anymore. Six days ago... you gave birth to a tiny baby girl. You expect challenges in the first days, but nothing prepares you... ... for the look on your family doctor’s face... as she says..." From "Would You Rather" by By Sarah McKinley

📣Issue 77 is here!📣 This edition is all about the power and resilience that art and writing can bring into our lives, featuring artwork by Phi Phi AN, poetry by Skylar Milkus, fiction by M.C. Schmidt, and creative nonfiction by Sarah McKinley.

On this day 151 years ago, the legendary poet Robert Frost was born! 🌟 In honor of his timeless words, we want to know: Who are YOUR favorite poets, past or present? Drop your top picks in the comments below!

Our submissions queue opens in one week. We can’t wait to see your work!

Sword swallowing, loneliness, and middle-aged YouTubers? New fiction from Michael C. Schmid coming to your inbox tomorrow. If you love stories and discovering new voices, please share this post to spread the word! https://www.rfr.bz/bd49bdb

Which literary form do you reach for first when you get some downtime? Cast your vote in the comments: A) Fiction B) Nonfiction C) Poetry D) Something else (tell us in the comments)

Counting down to our next issue coming March 20th with new poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Plus original artwork. Join the email list for free access to the latest from Mud Season Review. Sign up here: https://www.rfr.bz/be609da #LiteraryJournal #ComingSoon

Ready to take your work to the next level? We can help! Our manuscript review and feedback request services open on May 1st. Mark your calendars!📅

Let's be friends! Our next issue is coming out in a few weeks. Sign up here and we'll send it straight to your inbox: https://www.rfr.bz/bcdccba

Shout out to the copy editors (and other grammar nerds) who make the literary world make sense. We see you, and we salute you. Happy National Grammar Day!

Art from the archives: “Wood and sparkler #01” by Ole Brodersen, published in Mud Season Review Issue 25. #throwbackthursday #tbt

Winter was made for reading! Cozy up and explore our archives at mudseasonreview.com/issue.

Need a break? Take a poetry moment.

"... I used to write to find out 'what I think'... But now... I write to make something living out of what I feel or think—to take a two-dimensional statement and make it three-dimensional." —Jodi Miller-Hunter Take a peak inside a poet's process. Visit Mud Season Review to read the full interview.

What if Rosa Parks had become POTUS? Or Alice Cooper? Choose someone from the list of February birthdays and write a short story in which that person becomes president of the United States. Comment with an excerpt from your draft (try to keep it to 200 words or less) and let's have some fun!

“Cutting ties from a parent, as a queer person, is never clear cut.” Creative nonfiction reader Jen Bryant spoke with author Greta McGee about their creative process and the inspiration behind “My Father’s Legacy.” Link in comments!

After careful consideration, the editorial team at Mud Season Review has made the difficult decision to leave X/Twitter on 2/28. The platform is evolving in a way that no longer aligns with our values. We will remain active on Bluesky, FB, and Instagram @mudseasonreview. Thank you for your support!

“I hope readers enjoy the language. I hope they feel immersed in a small slice of another’s perspective and take a little bit with them.” Excerpted from “Rooted in Truth: An Interview with Fiction Author, James Cato” by fiction reader Nelly Shulman. Link in comments!