Thanks to Beth Castrodale for choosing PINEVILLE TRACE as a Small Press Pick and writing such an insightful review! Scroll for highlights, then head to smallpresspicks.com/pineville-trace to read the review. #bookreview #smallpress #flashfiction #appalachianfiction #southernfiction

I’m excited to be a judge for the F(r)iction Fall Writing contest! Flash fiction writers—I’m looking forward to reading your work! Joy Deva Baglio will be judging short stories, and Renia White will be judging poetry. Send us your work! Visit link in comments. #writingcontest #flashfictioncontest

On Denis Johnson’s birthday, I’m remembering this day 12 years ago when I met him in Lisbon via Bluegrass Writers Studio and Disquiet Literary Program . He’s my favorite writer and visited our workshop. I wrote an essay on Substack about it: open.substack.com/pub/wesblake...

Awards for PINEVILLE TRACE, a Southern Gothic, flash novella from the Univ. of Indianapolis’ Etchings Press about a former revival preacher who escapes from prison in 1970’s Kentucky, following a cat named Buffalo while confronting his past and seeking redemption.

I’m stoked to be part of the inaugural Appalachian Literary Arts Festival in my childhood home of Morehead, Kentucky! There’s so many writers, artists, and musicians there I admire. Come see us!

✨NEW EPISODE!✨ In our second installment of our conversations series, @wesblake.bsky.social and Em J Parsley discuss the process of writing novellas, why they're drawn to short fiction, and the books that inspired them. Have a listen! www.readappalachia.com/blog/ep-56-c...

New podcast alert! The new episode of READ APPALACHIA dropped today! Em J Parsley and I talk about novellas, why we love short fiction, unique structures, Gurney Norman, books that inspired us, and nature as healer. Give it a listen!

We are thrilled to announce our signing of Wes Blake’s narrative nonfiction collection! Wes Blake is the award-winning author of PINEVILLE TRACE (Etchings Press), whose fiction and essays have appeared in Electric Literature, storySouth, Louisiana Literature Journal, among others.

I’ll be teaching a flash fiction and a paths to publication class this Friday and Saturday at the 20th annual Mountain Heritage Literary Festival at Lincoln Memorial University! Get tickets at link in comments. #appalachianlit #writingcommunityofinstagram #writingcraft #flashfiction #publication

Honored to be included in this list and to have my work in Porchlight: A Journal of Southern Literature. Check out their journal—they’re doing good work. Read article at link in first comment. Thanks to editor-in-chief Randy Mackin and their other editors. #southernlit

Berea! Join us, Saturday!

PINEVILLE TRACE is a FINALIST for the Eric Hoffer Book Award! Thanks to the judges for recognizing the book! Learn more about the award: www.hofferaward.com/Eric-Hoffer-... Learn more about the book at wesblake.com #HofferAward #BookAward #literaryfiction #appalachianlit #southernlit

Kingsport, Tennessee! A mess of Appalachian authors associated with Hindman Settlement School will be arriving at Kingsport Public Library on Friday, May 15 from 3-6 pm to read, tell stories, meet you, and sign their books! We hope to see you! Please feel free to share! #appalachianauthors

New interview about flash fiction, constraints, influences, inspiration, craft, and more! Thanks to the Flash Fiction Institute , Kim Culbertson, and Grant Faulkner for featuring me! If you don’t follow them already, you should! Link in first comment. #flashfiction #writingcraft #authorinterview

Congrats to ETSU’s 10th annual Spring Literary Festival! Founder Jesse Graves brought in Ron Rash, Juan Martinez, Nickole Brown, Rose McLarney, and shared work from their talented students and faculty. #appalachianlit #literaryfestival

Happy Indie Bookstore Day from Joseph-Beth in Lexington!

Stoked to have words in the new spring Appalachian Journal spring ‘26 issue! Check out my review of Julie Hensley’s FIVE OAKS. Thanks to Jessica Cory for including me and putting together this stellar issue! Get a copy! #appalachianlit #writingcommunity #literaryjournal #bookreview #fiveoaks

Join us for the 20th Annual Mountain Heritage Literary Festival, May 29 and 30 at Lincoln Memorial University. Founder @silashouse.bsky.social will be keynote speaker. Engaging courses w/ Charles Dodd White, Mandi Fugate Sheffel , Wes Blake, Meg Wade. Get tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/20th-annua...

HAZELGREEN AND OTHER HAUNTS: A Memoir of Place-in-Essays is a finalist for the River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize! Exciting things are coming soon. Stay tuned. This book is about Appalachia, impermanence, Sam Shepard, an eastern Kentucky jazz pianist, place, stories, and time.

Are you a flash writer looking for community? Check this out! Tell your flash friends.

When I get this time machine working, I’ll be stopping here! Thanks to Grayson for sharing this. This is one of my favorite songs, and Midway, KY is the town on the north side of the county I live in. Somehow I never ran into Sam Shepard, but a lot of my friends did.

I'm attending No Kings's event, “NO KINGS Lexington” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

Good times signing books and meeting readers at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville! #appalachianlit #southernlit

Had a blast at the Appalachian Studies Assciation Conference (ASA)! Loved our panels “Appalachian Men Write the Seasons of Love” and “Animal Rescues in Appalachian Literature.”

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Huntington, West Virginia at the Appalachian Studies Association Conference! #appalachianlit

Charlottesville! We’ll be at the Virginia Festival of the Book this Saturday from noon until 6pm. Drop by, say hello, and get a signed book if you’re in the area! #bookfestival #appalachianlit #southernlit

Love animals? Love Appalachia? Check out our panel at the 49th Annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference at Marshall University! #appalachianlit #animals

Come hear us read our work from “Appalachian Men Write the Seasons of Love: Portraits of Vulnerability and Masculinity in Contemporary Appalachia” 49th Annual Appalachian Studies Conference at Marshall University

If you missed me at Joseph-Beth Books in Lexington today, there are signed copies of Pineville Trace left! Pineville Trace, an award-winning novella-in-flash from the University of Indianapolis’ Etchings Press, is an “introspective, haunting tale that remains with us” (Heavy Feather Review). 💙📚

I’ll be signing copies of the ole Pineville Trace this Saturday at the always supportive Joseph-Beth Bookstore in Lex, 1-3 pm. I’m appreciative to the judges that have recognized this book (and allowed me to cover it with all these cool award stickers like my Trapper Keeper when I was a kid). 💙📚

Had fun signing books at Wildside Winery, just down the road in Nonesuch, KY #PinevilleTrace

This is one of the most impactful and stunning books I’ve read. From the unforgettable opening prose poem “Allegiance” to the closing consciousness-mirroring “Shattered Jewel,” this is a soulful, visceral and urgent work brimming with clarity, honesty, sadness, humor, and beauty. Read it.

Hope to see you out there! Learn more at wesblake.com/events #writingcommunity

Throwback Thursday! David Domine talked with me and Erik Rust at @carmichaels.bsky.social a while back. Tonight MURDER IN GLITTERBALL CITY, a new documentary based on his awesome book premieres on HBO Max. Watch it! #truecrime

Excited to be part of the 2026 Appalachian Writers Workshop faculty alongside these talented writers and teachers. You won’t find a better workshop or writing community. Join us! Applications are open until March 1st. Apply at hindman.org/workshop #AWW26 #AppalachianWritersWorkshop #WritingWorkshop

Check out my new story “To Bury” in the brand new UNTELLING Issue 4 | Winter ‘25 issue. I workshopped the story this summer at Appalachian Writers Workshop at @hindmanschool.bsky.social . I worked on the final sentence every day for three weeks! Order your copy at hindman.org/untelling/

Loved this book. One of the best Jim Harrison books, and it surprises me how high quality most are. This is a story about grief, life, death, the UP, Chippewa religious ideas, bears, our connection with animals and the spirit world, and how our stories and the stories of our ancestors carry on. 💙📚

Honored to be included in the new UNTELLING Issue 4 | Winter ‘25 issue alongside so many writers/poets/artists I admire. Thanks to editor Melissa Helton and Hindman Settlement School. Order your copy at hindman.org/untelling/

A sad day in our country that should deeply concern every American.

Honored to be a finalist and look forward to writing in James Still’s cabin soon! Congrats to the winners and other finalists, and thanks to the judges! #OakLedgeResidencyContest #JamesStill #Contest #WritingRetreat #appalachianwriter

The new @publisherswkly.bsky.social print edition features PINEVILLE TRACE and highlights how artist Erik Rust worked with Etchings Press and designer Abigail Bailey to create the NIEA award-winning cover! #publishersweekly @booklife.bsky.social #booklife #coverart #collage #pinevilletrace 💙📚

PINEVILLE TRACE is a 2026 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite for both the literary fiction AND audiobook categories! Thanks to Etchings Press and narrator Michael Mau! www.independentpressaward.com/2026-favorites #2026IPA #GabbyBookAwards #bookaward #literaryfiction #audiobook 📚💙🐱

Honored to be included among these fine writers in FLASH FICTION WRITING TIPS—the #1 Amazon New Release in Reference! a.co/d/bNL4N1W Featuring luminaries of the form like Meg Pokras, Sherrie Flick, Grant Faulkner, Stuart Dybek, Dinty Moore, Etgar Keret, @nodghosh.bsky.social

Help protect nature and farmland! If you live in Woodford County, sign and share this petition to protect rural farms from being developed and subdivided. After signing, contact county magistrates and come to the meeting Tuesday, Jan. 13th at Woodford Fiscal Court at 5:30. c.org/MYrx4H28jQ

My favorite reads of 2025! 💙📚

Me and Pig

Winter Solstice. Orion through Pines

Some highlights about my debut book PINEVILLE TRACE from Etchings Press, Univ. of Indianapolis. Available at your local bookstore or library, bookshop.org, and all the usual online places. Learn more at wesblake.com

Audiobook Sale! $1.99 now through Dec. 31!

It’s been so nice listening to stories about Gurney Norman over the last couple days. I feel lucky to have had him as a teacher. Thelonius Monk said that “a genius is the one most like himself.” Gurney was always completely himself. Listen to Gurney read “Allegiance”: youtu.be/Zk8nRWujzu4?...