I wrote an essay called “Summer’s Over” for Zona Motel. Topics covered: art making, impending demolition, an innocent mistake open.substack.com/pub/zonamote...

Sergiu Ciochina

Just remembered a dream I had last night where I was in a recording studio w/Tom Petty. He was dead, a skeleton, but up & about & sounding great on guitar. He was recording “You Don’t Know How It Feels” & wanted me to sing the vocals. I explained that was bad idea & eventually he came around. Whew!

Have a new story called “Skyhawks“ in the fall issue of the Paris Review. t.co/LFMR359iCc

Vlad Mag #6 (Part Two): “Bummer Summer,” edited by Brian Alan Ellis, is OUT NOW on the website! New work by @eyerarat.bsky.social (@filthyloot.bsky.social), @malsmart.bsky.social (@maudlinhouse.bsky.social), @budsmith.bsky.social, @formermissnj.bsky.social and others 🦩

Sitting here listening to Bat Out of Hell, as always.

Join us on Friday, 7/11, to celebrate the release of our latest issue, “Player Haters.” We’ll be at the Francis Kite Club on the LES for an evening of drinks, dancing, and good sportsmanship. Featuring DJs Jamison Lung and Paula Martinez.

I’ve got a new short story up at Joyland today. This one is called “Shades” t.co/9FXFxW2ApU

Other night I met a person in publishing, who misses the writing workshop group they had in grad school. Haven't written much since then. I said, Well you can change that, find 3 gifted people, w/ same goals (a novel/story collection) and be the leader, drive the thing, do it, meet in person monthly

saw a young dog walk by with the face of Skeletor

I've got some new short stories--the most recent issue of FENCE has one called "Nightsky", tomorrow I'll share a link to one coming out in Joyland called "Shades." This fall I've got one coming into print again at The Paris Review

How bout a little #sports chat on here? Where are the BlueSky bowlers? #bowling #tenpins thebaffler.com/salvos/chang...

just got this in the mail and it's 🔥🔥🔥🔥

It is Disney canon that Huey, Dewey, and Louie moved in with Donald Duck after killing their biological father by putting fireworks under his chair and lighting them while he was sitting in it.

I have a new short story in The Baffler, called “Chipper” thebaffler.com/stories/chip...

Here’s a new short story called “After Passaic” @farewelltransmiss.bsky.social farewelltransmission.net/2025/04/afte...

I have a new short story in The Baffler, called “Chipper” thebaffler.com/stories/chip...

Never let your enemies give you a ride to the mall on the handlebars of their bike

been working 14 hour night shifts for the past five weeks, sometimes with Sunday off, but it’s almost over, just another few weeks, and then I can return to my real life again, as a semi-professional doer of nothing

Hope some Philly folks will stop by Tattooed Mom on Wed for readings by the extremely talented and cool Rutgees Camden MFA 2nd year students (I will also be there)

I heard a rumor that we're going to open for book submissions in the spring. (You can spread the rumor). I have no other information right now. I am possibly an unreliable source and am not available for comment. But I said what I said.

here's a short story called "Tiger Blood" and some thoughts about it, from my collection Double Bird nicetrybudsmith.substack.com/p/tiger-blood

Day One: told my coworkers I was profiling them as a group for GQ — result, Yay! Flexing and raising the roof Day Two: went back to work and told them GQ rejected the pitch because they’re a bunch of weak ass suckers.

Slept in a bit and didn’t have time for my “daily short story” this morning… but also need to prep for tomorrow’s class, and so: two birds, one stone! One of my fave things @budsmith.bsky.social has written.

☠️ WE OUT HERE ☠️

Disclosed to my wife that, as a young boy I was afraid to watch the Looney Tunes because I feared I would inadvertently enter that world

please install a ceiling fan in my coffin or i will simply get zero eternal rest

theseus's 1999 honda accord

Had an amazing conversation with @augstone.bsky.social about John Frusciante, Kurt Vonnegut, and the writing of HORSE GIRL FEVER. Hope you dig it 🔥 etceteraetc.podbean.com/e/episode-64...

I been reading 1001 Nights (unabridged 3 vol set from Penguin (trans by Malcolm and Ursula Lyon). Slays so hard, absolutely metal, and I’m not even talking about Sinbad and Aladdin and Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. You should read one ‘Night’ per night this year w/ me. Takes about ten minutes a night

when you witness a good YouTube clip/reel/short the only sensible response is to chisel a description of how it made you feel into a stone tablet

A poem called “Take a Penny, Leave a Penny” open.substack.com/pub/nicetryb...

best christmas gift was a swipe card for unlimited ‘wake up tomorrow’s

coworker who just turned 30 said, “Bro, I better start reading books.” So this is what I gave him to get him started on a (hopefully) new lifetime of reading. Also—these books always work for guys just starting out imho

yesterday I heard a powerlifter, who squats nearly 1300 pounds, say that we are all just a fart in the universe and not only will an eternity occur after our life is over, but that each of us was preceded by an aloof eternity before our birth

saw an ad for ‘Genesis Cleaning Services’ on a telephone pole but didn’t take a telephone # tear-off tab because it’s probably a direct line to YHWH who’d gladly destroy the whole earth in fire and flood again if I called during dinner

‘The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is.’ Happy birthday to Willa Cather. Born December 7, 1873.

Lancelot did the right thing; Guinevere did the right thing

Hello, I am reading at this event at McNally Jackson (Seaport) next Tuesday in NYC. It’s for the release of Daisuke Shen’s amazing book Vague Predictions & Prophecies. Come on out. ❤️ www.mcnallyjackson.com/event/daisuk...

Try this, add one pull-up a day, to get to 1000 max rep pull-ups in just three short years. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; next day, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2; then next day, 5, 4, 3, 3, 2; then 5, 4, 4, 3, 2; followed by 5, 5, 4, 3, 2 / rest day. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 / 6, 5, 4, 3, 3 / 6, 5, 4, 4, 3 / 6, 5, 5, 4, 3, and so on.

Here's two more tips: 1) go to work nearly every shift 2) when you 'call out', never elaborate, just say, "I'm not going to make it in" 3) if someone is not at work, tell everyone they had to stay home because they shit their pants on the drive in and had to turn around but sssh it's a secret

If you use a Bluetooth connected keyboard to write a story on your phone (propped against a coffee cup or whatever), there's a couple benefits: 1) you won't get distracted by anything else on your phone besides writing the story 2) it's hard to nitpick/edit so you're stuck drafting and that rules

spoke w @daijoubu.bsky.social about machines, the future, and their great new collection of stories from @clashbooks.bsky.social www.full-stop.net/2024/12/03/i...

been taking care of myself because I’ll do my best work twenty five years from now but first I gotta get there

Reminder that Short Story, Long submissions opened today, will be open all December. 3k-8k words, $100 for accepted stories + paired with original, commissioned art (I still have 13 pending subs from last call that I'm hoping to finish this week!) ashortstorylong.submittable.com/submit

(no order) 20 Books that influenced me:

Thank you so much to @electriclit.bsky.social for naming Vague Predictions and Prophecies as one of the most exciting debut short story collections of 2024 🤍

I left my car 36 minutes away. Am debating walking 36 minutes down the road (in suburbia). What would Lancelot do? What would Gawain do? What would Percival do? What would Lamorak do? What would Jesus do?