When you're trying to come up with a fake name to tell the mall cop after he caught you stealing from Spencers

I'm not saying it was ALIENS ATTACK! but it was ALIENS ATTACK! Here's the cover of my new book, coming in April 2026 from @masonjarpress.bsky.social! If you've been to @barrelhouse.bsky.social Writer Camp you'll recognize that barn. I love it, excited to share, hope you'll check it out in April!

Dan/Dzanc were one of my models of "you can just start a press" -- an indie that published good work, found readers, and made a lasting mark. He was also just a really good guy. We'll miss him.

Adding my voice to the chorus of those mourning the passing of Dan Wickett. Dzanc was my first publisher and Dan was its heart and soul: tireless on behalf of writers and their work, generous with his time and emotional energy, kind and encouraging to everyone he met. Rest well, old friend.

Crushed by this news. Sad when it takes something like this to fully realize it, but Dan was almost certainly one of the most important people in my literary life, which is to say he was among the most important people in my life, full stop. A true model for loving writing, and being a true friend.

I'm so sorry to hear about the passing of Dan Wickett, founder of the Emerging Writers Network and Dzanc Books. Dan was so kind and such a connector. He was one of the first people to take me seriously as a writer and take @barrelhouse.bsky.social seriously as a literary magazine.

Dan was one of our earliest friends and allies in indie lit, and we are very saddened by this news

“Bush’s characters are flawed but filled with a raw desire to be acknowledged and seen.” In @barrelhouse.bsky.social‬‬, Alex Gurtis reviews Catherine Bush’s debut short story collection, “Skin” - www.barrelhousemag.com/blog/catheri...

📚📚 ANNOUNCING: POOL PARTY BOOKS!!! 📚📚 Pool Party is open for book submissions!!! We will have two reading periods and publish two books/year. The first reading period runs from now until December 15th, 2025. Visit our website for details 🔥

"I wanted to explore HOW we got to this particular historical moment, rather than just make it into some sort of potboiler." Contributor @housleydave.bsky.social interviewed @austinross.bsky.social for @barrelhouse.bsky.social! Read it all right here: buff.ly/AnnRNbb

New interview with @andrewbertaina.bsky.social about 'Ethan Hawke and Me' through @barrelhouse.bsky.social #interview #film #cinema #litmag #writers #writing westofcanon.com/interview-wi...

Happy Star Trek Day! forever grateful to @barrelhouse.bsky.social for taking a chance on my sad-jeans Star Trek poem all those years ago www.barrelhousemag.com/online-lit/y...

Check out our latest My Reading Life with @samuelashworth.bsky.social! debutiful.net/2025/09/05/m...

That was fast! Submissions to the print journal are now CLOSED. miCRo submissions (of pieces 500 words or fewer) remain open. Visit our submissions page for more details.

HAPPY PEOPLE DON'T LIVE HERE is fantastic. Get your pre-orders in!

We took the paywall down on this one. defector.com/how-the-fuck...

Psst, use discount code FLASH 15 for 15% off by Sept 15 Then let's flash together on Sundays Oct 19 - Nov 9 with @flashfictioninst.bsky.social #flashfiction #speculativefiction #scifi #fantasy #onlineclass flashfictioninstitute.com/product/four...

Buy a book from Stanchion! They're great!

HBCU faculty and students involved in creative writing can now apply to the #AWP26 HBCU Fellowship Program! Applications close September 30, so don’t wait. Learn more about the fellowship and our creative advisor, MK Asante, today!

Wrote for The Metropolitan Review about the pros & cons of working w/ small indie presses vs. big presses, the journey from almost being a big fancy author to being a medium unfancy author, and mid-career re-evaluation of what I want out of the writing life www.metropolitanreview.org/p/to-go-big-...

Thanks to everyone who sent book pitches to the recent @barrelhouse.bsky.social call. We got a lot! I'm making my way through them, and can already say that it's going to be really hard to narrow down to just a few to work on in the short term. An embarrassment of riches!

Only 4 more days 😳😳😳

Over at @barrelhouse.bsky.social I interviewed @austinross.bsky.social about his truly awesome paranoid thriller of a novel, GLORIA PATRI, the process of writing the book over many years, how much querying agents sucks, January 6, and Patrick Swayze movies. www.barrelhousemag.com/blog/an-inte...

Day 27: “we were never born” by Angelica Esquival in @barrelhouse.bsky.social. I love the repetition and rhythm in this piece. www.barrelhousemag.com/online-lit/f...

Really loved Tom’s book, IT ALL FELT IMPOSSIBLE, and we had a great chat about it earlier this summer. Excited the convo is out and for you all to read it (and his book!)!

Great interview by @housleydave.bsky.social about a book I absolutely loved and now just want to go read again. Check them both out!

Next Tuesday! writeordiemag.com/workshops/p/...

12 or 20 (second series) questions with Andrew Bertaina / @autofocusbooks.bsky.social @barrelhouse.bsky.social ; robmclennan.blogspot.com/2025/08/12-o...

A very fine mail day! re: @ambersparks.bsky.social’ novel, I’m excited to discuss it with her at a Boston-area event this fall. Will share details soon.

Since 2023, translators and interpreters have seen work dry up, rates plummet and their jobs reduced to editing AI-generated output. Some are leaving the field, others are considering bankruptcy. All despite any major upgrade in translation quality. This is how AI is killing translation work:

Happy publication day to me. Street Cats & Where to Find Them is now available wherever you buy books.

Featuring my story "Jellyfish Night," written at @barrelhouse.bsky.social #WriterCamp!

5 year anniversary sub call on Thursday! Five (5!!) hour submission window, 8/21, 7am - noon ET Theme: "5" (What does that mean? Up to you!) Thx. We (heart) (and (skull)) you. -Aaron & Crow

Attn: @barrelhouse.bsky.social campers

Here's another ask: are any of you doing virtual readings or events between September - December? I'm looking for some to encourage my creative writing capstone students to attend this fall. I would love to add this to the list on my Canvas site

sorry to hive mind you all but: is there a recent article/book/art/film that thinks critically about most mainstream feminist thought and its links to capitalism that gave you things to consider that you would like to recommend to me? (I know, a pretty niche ask!! but if so, tell me)

Reminder: Next week (Tuesday, 8/19), I'll be chatting with my friend @tmcallister.bsky.social about his terrific new book "It All Felt Impossible" at Bookish Notions in Media. We'll talk about the book, writing, Philly sports fandom, the Eagles, and whatever else! Hope to see some of you there!

Our Assistant Fiction Editor Kasey Peters recently interviewed author River Selby about their debut memoir, Hotshot. Read their conversation here in @barrelhouse.bsky.social www.barrelhousemag.com/blog/compass...

“Does that make you hot? Yeah?Then please/ let me press up against you./ It’s -20˚ before wind chill,/ I haven’t felt my toes since Tuesday.” by @carrieconners.bsky.social from @barrelhouse.bsky.social www.barrelhousemag.com/online-lit/w...

You can feel where this story is headed and still the tension never lets up, never lets you look away. Such a good read from @elizabethendicott.bsky.social in the new @barrelhouse.bsky.social.

Little Free Blockbuster

Best of the Net nominees! Including @demisty.bsky.social @kcmeadbrewer.com @patrickcrerand.bsky.social @carrieconners.bsky.social @dsrandol.bsky.social & @jiksuncheung.bsky.social

Tomorrow!!

So thrilled for @demisty.bsky.social, @kcmeadbrewer.com, and @jiksuncheung.bsky.social!! 🥳

Best of the Net nominees! Including @demisty.bsky.social @kcmeadbrewer.com @patrickcrerand.bsky.social @carrieconners.bsky.social @dsrandol.bsky.social & @jiksuncheung.bsky.social

Seriously you guys, with a late surge before Tuesday's publication day, there's a chance to push @writesloud.bsky.social Hannah Grieco's First Kicking, Then Not into an unprecedented 4th printing! That'll get Hannah another $350 and 15 more author copies! If you want this book (& you should) do it!

I got to read a section from @mossyair.bsky.social ‘s new novel THE COVER GIRL a few @barrelhouse.bsky.social Writer Camps ago, and I’m super excited to dive in on reading the whole book!

bit late but thx @barrelhouse.bsky.social for an amazing Writer Camp, what a gift

SESSION PREVIEW: How do the places we write about impact our stories? In Not Just a Backdrop: Writing Place as a Lived Experience, Aurora Bonner shows us how to write place in a more embodied way. Join us Sat. 8/16 at 11 am ET for HippoCamp Minis. https://hippocampusmagazine.com/hippocamp25/

Best CNF conference ever, even if we don’t get to shmooze irl!