This month, we’re diving back into the archives with help from Fiction Reader Eleanor Ball. But we didn’t stop there, as we also included a Q&A with Carolene Kurien (outgoing Poetry Editor) and Erin Malone (new Poetry Editor)! Read the full newsletter at okaydonkeymag.beehiiv.com/p/a-return-t....

OKD is open for free subs until we reach our cap! Learn more about us and submit your best poetry or flash fiction: buff.ly/chQ4jpz Okay Donkey is always open for tip jar ($2.50) or expedited ($4.00) subs! Your contribution helps us pay our contributors and cover other mag-related expenses.

“I spent most of yesterday fracking for vague memories of second grade, fearful they had all dried / up.” “NO OFFENSE TAKEN” by Bennett Rine, new poetry out today at OKD: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/02/27/n...

Who could’ve guessed that there’s one more former OKD contributor with a recently published book? Gordon Brown (October 2022) has his chapbook, Skin Crawls, out with Cuttlefish Books! You can order it at bookshop.org/p/books/skin...

Yet another former OKD contributor, Allison Field Bell @allisonfieldbell.bsky.social (August 2024), has her first full-length poetry collection on the way! You can pre-order Allison’s collection, All That Blue, at www.finishinglinepress.com/product/all-.... Out March 20th.

“Our other friends had all gone home [...] suddenly and violently disappeared. I only know that I was laughing with my friend, and when I looked away my glass was empty and our friends were gone.” “Mr. Mayor” by Sarah Bess Jaffe, new flash fiction out today at OKD: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/02/20/m...

Registration is open for Kathy Fish’s 3-in-90 Workshops, including a *bonus* workshop with OKD fiction editor Steve Chang and former Guernica editor Autumn Watts on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 pm ET. Sign up at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Another former OKD contributor, Dani Janae @danijanae.bsky.social (January 2025), has a poetry collection coming out! You can pre-order Dani’s debut collection, Hound Triptych, at bookshop.org/p/books/houn.... Out on March 3rd.

“Walking directly into the sun sounded like the only viable option. I was not going to let a man with an American traditional crocodile tattoo tell me what to do…” “From there we came outside and saw the stars” by Lane Devers, new poetry out today at OKD: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/02/13/f...

"The numbers which follow are the numbers you know should follow but somehow your pencil zigzags" A piece to read and re-read to dig down into all its layers. Brilliant writing from @noranadj.bsky.social

But before then, make sure to celebrate The Bulb Region writer Anna Vangala Jones (@anniejowrites.bsky.social) by reading her Pushcart-nominated story, "You Don't Have a Place Here," in @okaydonkeymag.com. okaydonkeymag.com/2019/10/18/y...

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This is a story when the reader also has to "join the dots". Brilliant from @noranadj.bsky.social

OKD Newsletter Editor, Christine Salek @cms.bsky.social, and Fiction Reader Eleanor Ball eleanorball.bsky.social are among several amazing editors who worked on MONARCH 2026, a queer awards anthology from fifth wheel press! Pre-order it at asterismbooks.com/product/mona.... Out on March 3rd.

ICYMI...

Former OKD contributor Bill Verble (January 2022) has a poetry collection out from Broadstone Books! You can check out Bill’s debut collection, Absence Descending, at www.broadstonebooks.com/shop/p/absen...

Love this story by @noranadj.bsky.social, how we get to piece together the narrative.

“Start again with 1, 2, 3 and keep going until something takes shape from when you were a child. A pebble, a shard of glass, a secret memory, but find it, join the dots and see.” “Join the Dots” by Nora Nadjarian @noranadj.bsky.social, new flash fiction out today at OKD: buff.ly/WWxn5eF

Hey, it’s Sad Jack 👋🫏. Remember how we open for free submissions on the first of every month? Well… there are only a few free subs remaining! Submit now at okaydonkeymag.com/submissions/.

This month’s newsletter features “Ways to Weird Your Work” by our very own Associate Fiction Editor, Gina Thayer! Weirding your work may include embracing speculation, upending structure, and more. 🫏 Read the full feature and catch up on OKD updates at okaydonkeymag.beehiiv.com/p/what-makes...

OKD is open again for free subs until we reach our cap! Learn more about us and submit your best poetry or flash fiction: buff.ly/chQ4jpz Okay Donkey is always open for tip jar ($2.50) or expedited ($4.00) subs! Your contribution helps us pay our contributors and cover other mag-related expenses.

“Behind the glowing screen the doctor nods. Terminal, yes, / she says. The farmer tugs a small notebook from his shirt / pocket. Will you sign this?…” “The Farmer” by Andrew Doll, new poetry out today at OKD: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/30/t...

ICYMI: “Family Double-Dare, ‘The Lima Beings vs. Toledo TNT,’ June 1991” flash fiction by T.J. Martinson: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/23/f...

We’re happy to share that former OKD fiction reader Tolani Akinola’s debut novel, “Leave Your Mess at Home,” is coming out on April 14th! Read the synopsis and preorder from your favorite bookseller at www.tolaniakinola.com.

There's only ONE (1) WEEK LEFT to apply to be a reader for OKD! Now's your chance to be part of a kind and committed indie lit mag team. Don't let Sad Jack 🫏 continue being sad! Learn more and apply by next Saturday, Jan. 31st at forms.gle/kAQyzPW3oR8Y....

“A succubus visits Marc Summers each night. He knows her only as Why.“ “Family Double-Dare, ‘The Lima Beings vs. Toledo TNT,’ June 1991” by T.J. Martinson, new flash fic out today at OKD: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/23/f...

A new year always brings change, and we wanted to share OKD’s recent masthead changes with you. In case you missed our January newsletter (buff.ly/oiRYEE5), we have three team members moving into new roles and two new additions to the team! The images (and alt text) below outline all four changes.

We play-stabbed each other / with imaginary bayonet

ICYMI: “Gettysburg 2019,” poetry by Allie Hoback: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/16/g...

Huge CONGRATS to 2025 OKD contributor Amber Burke for making it into the Best Microfiction 2026 anthology with her piece "Dark Circles"! This year’s winners were picked by final judge Diane Seuss @dseuss.bsky.social. See the full list of winners at www.bestmicrofiction.com. 🫏

“...We smelled of damp / grass & I wondered how long we could possibly / keep doing this.” “Gettysburg 2019” by Allie Hoback, new poetry out today at OKD: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/16/g...

Want to read for an established, highly-rated, BOLD and WEIRD literary magazine? Yes, we're talking about Okay Donkey! The donkey, known as Sad Jack, would transform into monocle-wearing "Happy" Jack if you joined us! Learn more and apply by Jan. 31st at forms.gle/kAQyzPW3oR8Y.... 🫏

ICYMI: “Moo Moo,” flash fiction by Christine Aletti: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/09/m...

The Smart Search List of the Day is: Experimental Poems feat. @miraclemonocle.bsky.social @okaydonkeymag.com @paraselenemag.bsky.social et al. https://duotrope.com...

That water petting, pushing, brushing, disappearing that duck. / That water petting, pushing, brushing, disappearing that me.

“Today the milk smells like a barnyard. Grass makes animals taste like animals. Even before her belly swelled, she didn’t want cow in her coffee…” “Moo Moo” by Christine Aletti, new flash fiction out today at OKD: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/09/m...

Struggling to revise your draft? Registration is now open for Kathy Fish’s 3-in-90 Workshops, including a *bonus* workshop with OKD fiction editor Steve Chang and former Guernica editor Autumn Watts on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 pm ET. Sign up by Jan. 12 for early bird pricing!: buff.ly/PWVRCqK

ICYMI: “Quack,” poetry by Julliette Holliday: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/02/q...

Happy New Year from OKD! 🎊 Our first newsletter of the year is… a Q&A with our editors! If you’ve ever wondered about the importance of cover letters or what factors contribute to a decision on your submission, look no further. Read on for more from OKD: okaydonkeymag.beehiiv.com/p/you-asked-...

“...Here come the honeycombs. Flare ups of black / holes. My deadness in the hollows of circles and hexagons. / Do you want to eat me? I ask them.” “Quack” by Julliette Holliday, new poetry out today at OKD: okaydonkeymag.com/2026/01/02/q...

OKD is open again for free subs until we reach our cap! Learn more about us and submit your best poetry or flash fiction: buff.ly/chQ4jpz Okay Donkey is always open for tip jar ($2.50) or expedited ($4.00) subs! Your contribution helps us pay our contributors and cover other mag-related expenses.

Well, well, well... the donkey has sprouted a tail fin and jumped right into spot #8 on Charlie Fish's 2026 FISH List of lively independent literary magazines. We're so excited that we might just perform some water tricks alongside the donkey! See the full list at buff.ly/G8FaEQK.

The holidays are upon us, and we continue to be enraptured by gratitude for this weird and wonderful life. Here at OKD, we're especially grateful for our many staff readers who enable us to treat every submitted piece with care. Learn more about our readers at okaydonkeymag.com/masthead/.

We are proud to be lucky number 7 in the Bold and Weird category of Chill Subs Best Lit Mags of 2025! The donkey is always happy to receive compliments (but only when we pass on the message to him, since he really can't read, despite his protests). Check out all the winners here: buff.ly/Xw4HXk6

Presenting OKD’s Best Microfiction nominees! Read the nominated pieces in the thread below.

Congratulations to OKD’s 2026 Best Small Fictions nominees! Read the nominated pieces in the thread below.

Meet OKD’s Pushcart Prize nominees! Read the nominated pieces in the thread below.

So take a peek at those chats👆 Who knows if 'good writing' is teachable but craft for sure is. Stories by @robroensch.bsky.social @lindspetersberg.bsky.social Rina Olsen Brittany Ackerman 🔥Sign up for (Better Than) MFA-Style Writing Workshops here www.litmatchcollective.com/writing-workshops

ICYMI 4 craft chats w/ Editor Steve @ The Forever Workshop Comparing pre- and post-revision versions of work @okaydonkeymag.com Think 'nothing happens' in your writing? You might be surprised by these chats www.theforeverworkshop.com/p/editor-ins... Members get 1 month of Forever Workshop, free

Hi, friends! As you might know, Okay Donkey operates a little differently in December: - We don't publish new works (but we'll be back in January!) - Expedited subs ($4.00) will close Sunday, December 7 so our staff can still promise a quick turnaround before we take a break (cont.)