Don't forget to register for this free workshop with @thebrandonhaff.bsky.social !

Yay. Come write weird stuff with me!

Virginia Gov @abigailspanberger.com and Democratic legislature should pass immediate legislation to redistrict anyway. If the old confederate states can do it post Callais - so can Dems in Virginia if they care about saving our democracy.

Illegitimate court

virginia voters should call their delegates and senators and demand that they ignore this illegitimate ruling

I wrote for the The Richmonder about the Richmond Animation Festival happening this upcoming weekend. If you're in town, come on out and support independent animation. It's gonna be a weird & cool time. www.richmonder.org/fourth-annua...

"Independent bookstores make quiet comeback as big chains dominate retail" "About 422 indie bookshops opened in 2025, up 31%, defying predictions of retail consolidation"

@rabihalameddine.bsky.social and John Freeman consider their new anthology and the appeal of the international short story.

Hello all you last-minute Hugo voters. Nominations close TOMORROW. Here's our utterly shameless last-minute pitch ... thanks for considering! fabulistmagazine.com/the-fabulist...

I wrote about my local soccer team! Their mascot is a kangaroo named Kickeroo! www.richmonder.org/kickers-star...

It was an awesome experience to edit this banger of a story from @joeyhedger.bsky.social, up now in the most recent issue of Variant Lit: variantlit.com/the-gunshine...

Hooray, @eugenelim.bsky.social! lithub.com/eugene-lim-h...

I wrote about puppetry in Richmond! www.richmonder.org/celebrating-...

Save the Date ✨ April 25, 2026 ✨Spring Soirée VCCA’s biggest annual fundraising event will take place Saturday, April 25, 2026! Save the date, and make a plan to join us at Mt. San Angelo for a festive evening in the VCCA Hay Barn this spring. vcca.com/gala

broken record on this but a similarly great beat for left wing media would be covering arts and culture and not just focusing primarily on politics and current events because there's a massive void there right now

One of the best parts of my job is that I get to help run this awesome literary prize. Here are the finalists for the 2025 John Dos Passos Prize for Literature: lithub.com/heres-the-sh...

Solidarity!! Last week, Indiana University fired the director of student media & halted print on the Indiana Daily Student newspaper. Yesterday, Purdue’s student paper printed the banned edition & drove two hours to deliver it. Incredible www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/l...

I read this slim potent book twice in one day this week. Next day I read it back to front. Some deep stuff in here. Tremendous thinking and writing. Gonna be one I keep close by on small shelf of inspiring mainstays.

National Book Award finalist. Amazing!! www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/b...

Wrote an article on Richmond's James River Writers, an organization trying to foster community around the arts despite increasing obstacles: www.richmonder.org/james-river-...

Returned home from Hambidge last weekend and I've been dreaming about it ever since. Added 30 pages to my novel project, drafted a new short story, wrote some poems, revised a bunch of stuff, read 8 books, and met amazing people (we started a book club!). One of the most peaceful places I've been.

We are creating a Spanish language section on The Rumpus, for original creative work written in Spanish and are looking for a volunteer editor for this section. If this could be you, please send a brief letter of interest to [email protected] by Tuesday, September 2nd!

In 4 weeks!

This seems like a good to remind folks: if you have a literary project you want to start but need a little help and a little support, our incubator might be what you're looking for! bullcitypress.com/projects/inc...

Today is pub day for @jennicjul.bsky.social's Red Rabbit Ghost, a horror novel I've been excited to read for many many months. I teach Julian's short fiction every year, and every year the students and I are surprised and awed. This is going to be good, y'all. bookshop.org/p/books/red-...

Congratulations to the Variant writers on the Wigleaf Top 50 2025 Longlist! @danbillyc.bsky.social "Kilter" (Spring 2024) @courtludwick.bsky.social "Quarter" (Spring 2024) @emilyrinkema.bsky.social "The Interview" (Fall 2024) @sarahroth.bsky.social "Postnatural" (Winter 2024)

If you feel an inchoate itch to preorder a book, you can scratch here: bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

🎉SHE'S HERE!!🎉 Hugely excited to reveal the beauticious cover of my debut collection COLD TOAST feat. the artwork of renowned 70s artist Tim Mara 🔥 Out on 15th May! Preorders now available at www.dahliapublishing.co.uk/product/cold... #flashfiction #shortstories #popart #printmaking

Here's a fun (I hope!) story I made about some teenagers who find a magical teapot! Thanks to J Journal for taking this on. www.jjournal.org/post/teapot-...

I don’t want to “streamline” my writing. I don’t want to “increase my output.” I don’t want to “write a novel with one click.” I want to write stuff only I can write. I want to read and write novels with soul and heart and a unique voice. Fuck AI. Long live real writers.

This is a good one!

Since 1971, VCCA has been a haven for artists across disciplines — a place of creative freedom, support, and community. This May, as we mark 54 years, we ask you to consider making a $54 contribution to support the next chapter of VCCA’s story. 💝 vcca.com/54

Call for submissions! 🗣️ The Offing’s Essay department is seeking new works! Follow the link to submit today! theoffingmag.submittable.com/submit

I promise to stop talking about this today (there are obviously far bigger things happening) but I did want to call out that these books are all from small/university presses. In a lit world where it’s really hard to break a collection out, I’m grateful for the attention to small-press books!

To our local friends and #VCCAFellows: If you're looking for a fun outdoor activity next Saturday, April 12, we'd love to welcome you for Spring Volunteer Day at VCCA in Amherst, Virginia! Please sign up by Tuesday, April 8: vcca.typeform.com/volunteer-day

I could not be at AWP this year because of work. I'm sad to miss all the good talk about reading & writing. Also, as someone with a new-ish book out, I guess I'm missing the opportunity to spread the word - so here goes: I hope you'll consider ordering SAD GROWNUPS: bookshop.org/p/books/sad-...

Yay, I've been awarded a residency at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences. How wonderful and lucky, I can't wait. A little light!

We're hiring! The Department of English at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro invites applications for a one-year visiting assistant professor position in creative writing (poetry), to begin August 1, 2025. Application deadline is April 11, 2025. spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/31471

Lots of great stuff in the newest issue of @variantlit.bsky.social. Especially love this wild little flash piece from @amethystwrites.bsky.social; check it out! variantlit.com/we-blazed/

And it's live! Delighted to publish Issue 36 with stories by Mikki Arnoff, Alyssa Aung, Jack Barrie, Jill Bronfman, Rebecca Croser, Peter DeMarco, Travis Flatt, Jaime Gill, Kat Gonso, Robert McBrearty, Kim Murdock, Nora Nadjarian, Chris Scott & Nathan Leslie. newflashfiction.com/issue-36/

🌸 Applications are open for Spring 2026 VCCA residencies at Mt. San Angelo in Virginia! Application deadline: May 15, 2025 🧡 vcca.com/residencies-at-vcca 🧡 vcca.com/fully-funed-fellowships 🧡 vcca.com/apply

One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to help run this amazing prize. Thrilled to announce that Angie Cruz has won the 43rd John Dos Passos Prize for Literature. lithub.com/angie-cruz-h...

There are only three days left to submit for the Bristol Short Story Prize! What are you waiting for? Send your best stories to us TODAY! Full details: bssp.blogs.bristol.ac.uk Pleeeeeeease share!

Propulsive and terrifying. Four roommates try to navigate their roommate drama while fiery disaster lurks ever closer. Btw, Creature Publishing is reliably good: creaturehorror.com "Sometimes life feels really terrible for no apparent reason. So chin up; your pain is not unique."

Happy deadline day! Apply before midnight 🕛 to be considered for a Fall 2025 residency at Mt. San Angelo in Virginia. 🌟 vcca.com/apply 🌟 vcca.com/fully-funded-fellowships 📷: Recent view of the VCCA Gazebo at Mt. San Angelo by Betsy

Tidbeck is one of the greats. What beautifully bewildering, unnerving stuff. "On the other side of the apple orchard was a loud party, where a gathering of nobles played croquet with human heads, and their changeling servants hid under the tables, telling each other stories to keep the fear away."

All star lineup

Jimmy Carter, a visionary on ending fossil fuels, put solar panels on the White House. Big Oil-backed Ronald Reagan ousted Carter in 1980 and ripped them out Tonight, as Carter lies in in state in the Capitol, a climate-fueled wildfire is destroying Reagan's former hometown of Pacific Palisades