Subscriber News: May 2025
Recent Honors
Congratulations to Jessica Pegis. The first chapter of her science fiction mystery Headless was a Notable entry (equivalent to a finalist) in the 2025 Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize. Read her piece and all the other prizewinners on their website. The most recent submission period for this contest was February 3-March 3, with prizes up to $1,000 for the opener of an unpublished novel manuscript. In other news, her children's book You Made Fun of My Sandwich (Free Spirit Publishing, 2024) won first prize in the Grades 3-5 category of the 2025 Children's Book Council Favorites Awards. Jessica says, "It even beat out Dog Man!"
Congratulations to Noah Berlatsky. His mini-chapbook Apologies to Bashō is available for free download from the Origami Poems Project. His digital chapbook The Sentient Flock, in Simpler and Sexier Times was published by Bainbridge Island Press. It is a 26-page poem comprised of collage fragments from poetry, philosophy, and popular culture. His book of found-poetry sonnets, Gnarly Thumbs, was published by Anxiety Press.
Congratulations to Jed Myers. His poem "I Can't Feel the War" won the New Millennium Writings Poem of the Week Award for May 4. Editor Alexis Williams said, "This poem is an absolute marvel—bleak and brooding, starkly honest, and filled with equal parts frustration at, and sympathy for, the maddening human trait of self-protection." The deadline for this weekly contest, with a prize of $100, is every Sunday. Submit here.
Recent Publications
CB Anderson's short story "Little" was published in Ploughshares (Spring 2025).
Lori D. Johnson's essay "Hair Care Chronicles" was published by The Forge Literary Magazine and featured as their nonfiction story of the week (April 7, 2025). Lori's Q &A with The Forge's senior editor, Sommer Schafer, is also featured on the magazine's website.
Mark Fleisher's story "Chartering New Journeys", which he describes as his first foray into YA fiction, was published in Lionheart Publishing's anthology Reasonable Facsimile. See the announcement and cover art on Facebook.
Eva Tortora's photo "Branches" was published in Smithsonian Magazine in their 22nd annual photo contest, whose theme was the natural world.
Duane L. Herrmann's poems "Front Line Delivery", "How Many Will Die?", and "To Stop the Plague" were published on April 14 at Poetry for the People. His micro-chapbook Native Blood was published at the Origami Poems Project. "In Just One Moment" and "Success One" were published in Sparks of Calliope. "Ban That Book!" appeared in Spillwords. His story "House of Money" was published in Literary Yard.
Terri Kirby Erickson's poem "After My Brother Died in an Explosion" was published in One Art.
CM Pickard's poems "Broken Wing", "No donations here", and "White Walls" were published at The Write Launch in April. Her poems "The Father I Loved", "Canopy of Protection", "Aggression", and "Melbourne Cup" were published at The Sandy River Review.
James K. Zimmerman will give an online poetry reading at 7:00 pm Eastern time on May 15 with the group Calling All Poets, a reading series in the Hudson Valley of NY. Sign up for the link and register for the open mic here. His most recent book is The Further Adventures of Zen Patriarch Dōgen (The Poetry Box, 2023).
Published: May 7, 2025
