a new review up today. This one comes from @caelyncobb.bsky.social "Time Management" published in Short Story, Long. It's a fascinating tale that examines corporate life, ambition, coffee, cubicles, and notions of time. review here: read-short-stories.com

congrats to @yasminadinmadden.bsky.social whose debut collection "You Know Nothing" is now available!

here's a "highway romance" for your Valentine's day. also, the first time I've ever had a story published on New Year's day. thank you, again, @doricliterary.bsky.social for giving this one a home.

flash fiction Friday review of "Sometimes Grief is a Moonrise" by @allisonfieldbell.bsky.social, published in @fracturedlit.bsky.social. The piece is a heartache of complicated emotional processing. Read my brief review here: read-short-stories.com

Extremely honored to be lonlisted for the 2026 Joyce Carol Oates Prize!

Read Sophie Newman’s interview with “Tacoma” author Aaron Burch. They talk about the last 20 years of the literary scene, writerly obsession, autofiction, and more. buff.ly/wOBxFyz

new issue of Cutleaf, featuring poems by Richie Hoffman, an essay by Matthew Sidney Parsons, and a short story by Kate Finlinson. Read them here: cutleafjournal.com

for anyone not watching football, here's a review of Bob Johnson's latest short story, "The Train to Union Station," published in the new lit journal @brownhoundpress.bsky.social. The review along with a link to Bob's story: read-short-stories.com

Please help me get the word out about our lovely lit journal! www.south85journal.com/submissions/

This book is now out in the world and I’m jazzed to have a story in it. eastoverpress.com/book/an-anth...

new issue of Cutleaf, featuring an essay by Jim Huff, poems by Judy Kaber, and a new short story by @georgesingleton.bsky.social cutleafjournal.com

Here's a brilliant story we published on New Year's Day. If you were indisposed at that time, now's your chance to read this wonderful work about a road trip romance with music, dance, ashes, and a family reunion. Link in bio. #DesMoines @keithlesmeister.bsky.social

a brief review of Pardeep Toor's tense and uneasy story "Dinner Party" published in @greatriverreview.com. Also, Toor's debut story collection is coming out this April. Review here: read-short-stories.com

it was a pleasure to interview @tayyba.bsky.social about her debut story collection "Talking with Boys" -- a beautiful collection published last week with @blacklawrence.bsky.social.

new issue of Cutleaf, which features an essay by Chrissie Anderson Peters, poems by Clayton Adam Clark, and a short story by Daniel Abiva Hunt. cutleafjournal.com

“I was an innertube on the Lazy River of life, allowing it to spin me around, slow me down, bump me against the edges, and then dump me into whatever cesspool of piss water awaited.” Incredible piece of fiction here. I already feel the ache of missing the characters. Read this.

Really thrilled to see, The Shape of Things, will be included in the Best Microfiction of 2026 as chosen by Diane Seuss! Special thanks to the Heavy Feather Review for publishing it and to my 804 retreat friends who I wrote this for after a prompt :).

excellent opportunity in Minneapolis.

Short Story, Long submissions are open.

Take a road trip for a wonderful start to 2026! "Des Moines" by @keithlesmeister.bsky.social doric-literary.com/2026/01/01/d...

a new story out today. I like the editor's description here: "...every thing you'd want in a highway romance." Happy New Year!

⏰ FINAL CALL! Only two days left to submit to WTAW Press’s 2025 Open Call. If you’ve been waiting for a sign… this is it. Your book could be next to join our shelf! Submit by December 31st. ✍️

a beautiful and haunting story about friendship, art, and the muddle of one's life in their 20s. This story, I think, serves as a kind of coda to @andrewporter01.bsky.social collection "The Disappeared." The story here is available to read online thru 12/21 www.cincinnatireview.com/articles/vig...

what a fantastic group of debut collections. I already own four of these, but I'm looking forward to checking out the others. Congrats @lmichelcassidy.bsky.social @ladiwoods.bsky.social Hayden Casey, and Bob Johnson, and others!

a new all-nonfiction issue of Cutleaf! cutleafjournal.com

stories included were previously published in some wonderful lit journals. Thanks to all of them for publishing, and nominating, such wonderful work:

When I found out my story, How to Survive a Black Hole, had been selected for this anthology, by Deesha Philyaw no less, I was like, um, you have the wrong person... But it's real and I'm pinching myself. Thank you Keith, Deesha, and @kimmagowan.bsky.social ❤️ for being the best supporter and friend.

this past weekend, b/c of all the hype on Netflix, I reread Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (really, in my mind, a long short story packaged as a novella), and it me as hard on the second reading as it did the first, which was well over ten years ago now. A perfect little masterpiece.

a nice chat w/ the Daily Yonder about the Anthology of Rural Stories by Writers of Color Vol III, guest edited by Deesha Philyaw. Thanks to DY!

creating and sustaining this anthology has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life as a writer/editor. Thank you to the incomparable @deeshaphilyaw.bsky.social for being a fantastic collaborator. And please check out our rural anthology Vol 3! eastoverpress.com/book/an-anth...

a nice opportunity to read/review small press books --

support your local indie bookstore

an excellent list to consult for your next book purchase. #supportsmallpresses #indiepress #universitypress

Kudos to @keithlesmeister.bsky.social and his staff. Cutleaf is a really nice journal.

this afternoon I turned in my final-ish draft of my forthcoming story collection titled Ask Me About the Money. The stories, as you can imagine, coalesce, thematically, around money. I'm excited, nervous, and relieved. Publication Nov 2026. I'm sure I'll post more in the coming months!

"navigators" is an incredible story. check it out here w/ an intro from @mdbell79.bsky.social

my fiction chapbook Mississippi River Museum is featured on this graphic, but the main point is this: check out some of the wonderful chap/books published by the inimitable @wtawpress.bsky.social!

fantastic sports-themed lit journal open to subs for a few more days.

thrilled to have an "other distinguished" story here alongside so many writers I've read/respected/admired/loved for so many years. Truly an honor. And thanks to december magazine for first publishing the story!

short story writers: the incomparable Deesha Philyaw is guest judge for this contest. #submitwork #shortstories

Submissions are still open for the 7th Annual STORY Foundation Prize, judged by @deeshaphilyaw.bsky.social. Submit before December 15th to be considered.

new issue of Cutleaf! Featuring short fiction by @ladiwoods.bsky.social, nonfiction from @mbarrettwriter.bsky.social, and poetry courtesy of @taylorfthiel.bsky.social cutleafjournal.com/issue/5-19

nothing quite like the blue of a late Sept sky. #makingthemostofthemorning side note: I've always thought Decorah would be a great place for a summer writers' workshop/camp/retreat/festival. Hiking, biking, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, world class breweries. And some writing, too. #decorah

"Mama wanted a house, so she stole one she found abandoned on the corner of Sycamore and Grant" @juliastrayer.bsky.social's "Mama Wanted" trampset.org/mama-wanted-...

Epiphany’s Fresh Voices Fellowship supports one emerging BIPOC writer without an advanced writing degree. *$2000 stipend *Year-long editorial fellowship at a small non-profit literary magazine *Publication Applications are O P E N

Congrats to Kathleen McNamara! Her story collection was selected as the winner of the EastOver Press debut prize for a story collection, selected by Manuel Munoz. Congrats to Kathleen and the finalists!

Cutleaf is the "listing of the day" -- and we're currently open for nonfiction subs (cap of 200) and collaboratively written short fiction. The latter will be selected by our guest collab writers @kimmagowan.bsky.social and Michelle Ross.

...and! Giano will be presenting at the Luther Writers Festival this Saturday (Sept 13) alongside @rachelswearingen.bsky.social and Jennifer Case. More info here:

...and! Michael will be presenting at the Luther Writers Fest this weekend, Sept 12-13. Free to attend!