Log line: In a Southern city built on buried harm, a grandmother named Goldie Hayes uncovers toxic runoff in her childhood park—setting off a chain reaction that pulls a disillusioned academic, a conflicted political insider, and a cautious financial analyst into the heart of a cover-up.

"They crouched there in the shadows, waiting for the moment when the sky would begin to lighten, when the guards would be slow to rouse in that gray hour between night and morning." From my story "One Way Out" published recently by @gritquarterly.bsky.social gritquarterly.com#jeff-sykes-o...

Aw yeah. My gritty West Maryland story "Cam" is live at @gritquarterly.bsky.social. Thanks to @danrussell.bsky.social for making it better than it was. gritquarterly.com#jamey-gallag... gritquarterly.com#welcome

Grit Quarterly launches today—congrats to Ed. Dan Russell. Happy to contribute an icy little chunk of S.E. Manitoba. @gritquarterly.bsky.social @nberlat.bsky.social @dashlarkin.bsky.social @melissacuisine.bsky.social @russellthayer10.bsky.social @byjeffsykes.bsky.social @maudlavin.bsky.social

I published my first short story collection last year, a week before Hurricane Helen struck North Carolina. Ii put all my promotion plans on hold, but you may find it of interest. shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?App7X1...

These mags specifically note in their guidelines that they publish established and emerging writers alike, and placing a piece in one would look reeealll nice on the ol’ (new) literary bio. Submission info: www.chillsubs.com/lists/New_pr...

“​​Lily was my dog. In Lily were combined the two most beautiful and highest virtues—I’ve thought about this, and I mean it—the two very highest virtues of all conscious life, which are 1) likes to play and 2) gentleness.” Read James Whorton Jr.’s “Stove City”: www.vqronline.org/winter-2024/...

The incomparable Joyce Carol Oates with an epic review of Caroline Fraser’s Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers. www.nybooks.com/articles/202...

Announcing our July First Editions Club pick: PAN by Michael Clune! He’ll be visiting The Lynx on July 23rd—Lauren’s birthday!—to discuss his debut novel with Prof. David Leavitt. More details and tickets at TheLynxBooks.com/Events.

@legroff.bsky.social's new collection of short stories, BRAWLER, is coming out February 2026, and is now available for pre-order on The Lynx’s website. Order through The Lynx for EXCLUSIVE signed and personalized copies, alongside a piece of art commissioned for the book.

"Still. Phone in hand. Dog at her feet. The silence inside her deeper than before, stretched taut and humming like speaker wire." jhsykes.substack.com/p/the-cloud-...

Amazing work by Lebanese illustrator Tracy Chahwan in the New York Times this week. This accompanies a review of the new crime thriller by SA Cosby, King of Ashes. The review is here: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/b... #illustration #art #artsky #litsky #booksky #thriller

Don't know what to do this holiday weekend?? How about reading a new book by one of MWA's members - here is the July list - mysterywriters.org/new-books-by...

Some good mail I received.

We are open for subs! Flash fiction, CNF, poetry, and art and photography. Can't wait to see your wild, wooly, and brightly feathered creations! third-street-review.org/submissions/

My latest short story is about domestic violence and its impact on children. jhsykes.substack.com/p/it-comes-b...

"If you know the history of the activist class in Greensboro, then you can see clearly how they pounced on these bureaucratic processes and the failure of civil servants acting under pressure and sculpted them into the malevolent conspiracy of the age." jhsykes.substack.com/p/review-i-a...

I wrote this short story about bitterness the the consequences of negativity. jhsykes.substack.com/p/mariah

“You got my back right? All I said was get out of my face.” I paused for a second as Lonnie stood there staring at me and shaking his bloodied right hand. “Sure, Lonnie, I got you. He didn’t have on no mask and you asked him to get out of your face.” jhsykes.substack.com/p/get-out-of...

On 9/16 CJ Press launches our second @danbillyc.bsky.social collection. BLUR is comin':

I write things. Some reporting. Some fiction. Here's a short story from my website. https://jhsykes.substack.com/p/one-night-on-coward-knob