THE FAM ROUNDUP: OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2025 EDITION
The Split Lip FAM has been busy this fall with an excellent batch of publications, awards, and news! As winter approaches, we recommend reading through this amazing work on a cozy night in.
Publications, Interviews & Reviews
Former EIC Kaitlyn Andrews-Rice’s piece “Five Easy Payments of Nothing Ever Changes” won the 2025 Forge Flash Fiction Competition
Contributor Sudha Balagopal’s micro “Mama, I’m Home” was published in Fictive Dream
Contributor Alex Bortell’s poem “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” was published in Issue 10.2 of Foglifter Press
Contributor and flash reader brandon brown’s story "The Moon’s Forest Burn All Your Life" was published in khōréō
Contributor Sasha Brown’s piece “Narc Rules” was published in HAD
Contributor Taylor Byas’s collection Resting Bitch Face was listed as one of Electric Literature’s top five poetry collections of 2025
Contributor Ina Cariño’s micro “surely there is someone” was published in The Offing
Contributor Seán Carlson’s essay “Resonant Oscillations: Lost in a metaphysical hex with doom pioneers Earth” was published in Motif Magazine
Contributor Cavar will be editing a fifth wheel press blog series on multispecies writing
Contributor Mandana Chaffa interviewed fellow contributor Rachel León for Chicago Review of Books
Contributor Michael Chang’s poems “White Phosphorous” and “Drinking Age” were published in Ricepaper
Former poetry contest judge Chen Chen has a suite of eight poems in Issue 26 of Assaracus
Fiction reader Garima Chhikara’s flash “He Relaxes When I’m Gone” was published in Lost Balloon
Her piece “Not Built for Children” was published in bioStories
Her flash “The Ghost I Refused to Raise” was published in Issue 33 of Sky Island Journal
Flash reader Marjee Chmiel’s flash “The Self Helped” was published in Flash Fiction Magazine
Fiction reader Leah Francesca Christianson’s story “The Buzzing Means That Mom’s Back” was published in The Maine Review
Contributor Chloe N. Clark was interviewed for Medium about her new book Every Galaxy a Circle, forthcoming in January 2026 from Jackleg Press
Every Galaxy a Circle was reviewed in https://www.kevinvellum.com/p/the-geometry-of-loss-a-short-review?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true
Memoir Reader Michael Todd Cohen celebrated their first exhibit as co-director of The Stratford Historical Society
Contributor Tommy Dean’s flash “In the Back Row of the Nostalgia Group, We Talked about Death” was published in Ghost Parachute
Contributor Darren C. Demaree’s poem “Emily as a Blue Canary” was published in Plainsongs’ Fall 2025 issue
His poem “Emily As The Tumbling Place” was published in White Wall Review
His poem “All All #11” was published in Gambling in the Aisle
His poems “All All #21” and “All All #20” were published in LampLit’s fall issue
Contributor Todd Dillard’s poems “Love Poem with Overwrought Similes Because That’s As Close As I Can Get To Explaining It Right Now OK” and “The Lampshade” were published in LampLit’s fall issue
His poem “Heimlich After I Eat Poetry Too Quickly Again” was published in HAD
His review of Luisa Muradyan’s I Make Jokes When I’m Devastated was published in Zona Motel
His piece “What the Husband Keeps” was published in Issue 20 of Stanchion
Contributor Asa Drake published three poems in Issue 34 of Epiphany; “Waiting Ghazal” is available to read online
Poetry Editor CD Eskilson’s collection Scream / Queen is a finalist for the 2025 Golden Poppy Book Award in Poetry
Scream / Queen was reviewed by The Colorado Review
Their poetry craft essay “Making a Monster” was published in in the The Cincinnati Review’s horror folio
Their translation of “Nocturne & I” by Edith Södergran was published in The Georgia Review
Their poem “Testdemonial” was published in Mayday
Contributor Kathy Fish’s flash “The Saddest Fuckers of All” was published in Ghost Parachute
Flash reader Adrian Frandle was accepted to a poetry residency at Vermont Studio Center next year
Their poems “Our Record” was published in HAD
Contributor Elisa Gabbert’s poems “Look at a River, Elisa,” and “Failure to Exist” were published in Poetry
Contributor Beth Gilstrap published a prose poem from her forthcoming book There is News Along the Ohio River Pithead Chapel
Contributor Sabrina Hicks’ story “Potential” was published Stanchion Zine’s anniversary issue
Contributor and Assistant Flash Editor Sunwoo Jeong’s story "The Dragon and the Bog” was published in Fantasy Magazine
Contributor Eliza Gilbert’s flash “Plotnick” and poems “In the Evening Med Line," "Hellhound Elegy," and "Catechism With Hangnails” were published in The Adroit Journal
She was a runner-up for the 2025 Adroit Prize for both poetry and prose
Contributor and Former Contributing Editor Christopher Gonzalez’s story “Tap It, Swipe It, Charge It” was published in Maudlin House
He was named the 2025 recipient of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts’ Steven Petrow and Julie Petrow-Cohen LGBTQ+ Fellowship
Contributor Abbie Kiefer’s micro “On The New Yankee Workshop, Norm Abrams Builds a Garden Swing on Which to While Away an Evening” was published in Baltimore Review
Her poem “Abecedarian With Sensodyne” was published in The Atlantic
She interviewed fellow contributor Amber Sparks for Washington City Paper
Contributor Jill Kitchen’s poem “after-midnight umbra” in The McNeese Review
Her poem “when the world did not feel like a crushing weight” was published in Asterales
Contributor Julia Kolchinsky was interviewed about her poetry collection Parallax for Ozarks at Large
Contributor Sarah Lao’s poem “Fixed Exchange Rate Regime” was published in The Adroit Journal
She was a finalist for the 2025 Adroit Prize
Contributor Rachel León interviewed Diane Josefowicz for Chicago Review of Books
Intern Evangeline Lim’s flash “The zipper that bit me in the back” was published in The Daily Californian
Contributor Sara Lippmann’s piece “shelter in place” was published in Ghost Parachute
Contributor Davon Loeb’s excerpt “I Didn’t Understand Why My Mom Wouldn’t Let Me Go Out with Friends. Then She Told Me a Terrible Family Secret” was published in People
Contributor Joshua Jones Lofflin’s flash ”Night is a Mouth with No Shape” was published in Flash Frog
His flash “The Box” was published in Matchbook
Contributor Kim Magowan’s piece “Karen’s Features” was published in Bending Genres
Her flash “My Husband, My Ex-Boyfriend, and the Love of My Life Walk into a Bar” was published in Ghost Parachute
Hers and Michelle Ross’ micro “A Stranger in My Home” was published in The Ilanot Review
Contributor Ilana Masad co-edited Here for All the Reasons: Why We Watch the Bachelor, which is forthcoming in May 2026 and is available for preorder now from Turner Publishing
She released the first episode of her monthly feature for the The Gaily Show, and one of her recommendations was fellow contributor SJ Sindu’s book Blue-Skinned Gods
Her list “The 10 Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of 2026” was published in Them
Contributor Josh McColough published a poem in Issue 42 of Chicago Quarterly Review
Contributor Donna Miscolta’s flash “Ordinary” was published in Hypertext. It also appears in Hypertext’s The Overturning Anthology
Contributor Claudia Monpere’s story “Yellow Gifts” was published a story in Necessary Fiction
Poetry Editor Rita Mookerjee’s poem “Self-Portrait as the Pie Crust in Heretic (2024)” was published in Up the Staircase
Contributor Crystal Odelle’s story “Target Weight” was published in in Issue 10.2 of Foglifter Press
Managing Editor Wendy Oleson’s flash “The Boy Waits” was published in Wigleaf
Contributor Sebastián H. Páramo published a poem in Issue 112 of Poetry London
His poems “Extinction Economy, or The Grapefruit Orchards of South Texas,” and “Wet Bark” were published in Four Way Review
Poetry reader Lucie Pereira’s poem “Feral Girl Winter” was published in Silly Goose Press
Contributor Meg Pokrass’ flash “The Year I Forgot What I Like” was published in Ghost Parachute
Contributor Pedro Ponce’s piece “Relic” was published in hex
Contributor Dina Relles’ piece “Departures” was published in Matchbook
Contributor and poetry reader T. De Los Reyes’ poem “Ways a Brown Girl Inhabits Herself” was published in Diode
Their piece “Enthralled” was published in Issue 34 of Epiphany
Fiction reader Ellen Rhudy’s story “The Egg Baby” was published in Southeast Review
Assistant Fiction Editor Molly Andrea-Ryan’s story “Fragments of One or the Other” was published in Heavy Feather Review
Contributor James Keith Smith’s flash “Sweat Pea” was published in Flash Frog
His story “A Normal Kid” was published in Bending Genres
Contributor Amber Sparks’ book Happy People Don’t Live Here was included in Washington Independent Review of Books’ best books of 2025
She was interviewed in Third Person Limited
Her essay “On Being an Unreformed Writer of Dark Humor” was published in Writer’s Digest
Her article “On the Art (and Artifice) of the Miniature” was published in Literary Hub
Contributor Brett Stuckel’s poem “Late Reflection” was published in Magnets and Ladders
Contributor Matthew Tuckner was interviewed in The Adroit Journal
Contributor Benjamin Selesnick’s story “The Hole in the Floor - Part I” was published in Rejoinder
Contributor Danielle Shorr’s personal essay “Sometimes the Worst Job Is the One You Love Most” was published in Electric Literature
Contributor Alejandro Varela was interviewed about his new epistolary novel Middle Spoon for Electric Literature
Assistant Poetry Editor Teri Vela’s poem “Value” was published in Blackfox
Contributor Stella Wong’s micro “treble booster” was published in The Cincinnati Review
Contributor Allison Wyss’ article “’All’s Well’ and Dialogue Beyond Words” was published in The Loft
Assistant Fiction Editor Tina Zhu’s story “How to Build a Homecoming Queen: A Guide by a Bad Asian Girl” was published in Lightspeed
Books & Anthologies
Contributor Brandon Taylor’s novel Minor Black Figures was published on October 14 by Riverhead Books
Minor Black Figures was reviewed in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Brooklyn Rail, Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, The Seattle Times, and Chicago Review of Books
An excerpt from Minor Black Figures was published in Literary Hub
He was interviewed in The New Yorker, Commonweal, The Rumpus, and Electric Literature
He was interviewed on NPR’s It’s Been a Minute, The New York Times Book Review podcast, and Los Angeles Review of Books’ Radio Hour
Contributor Ina Cariño’s forthcoming collection Reverse Requiem, releasing in April 2026 from Alice James Books, had a cover reveal and is available for preorder now
Contributor Cavar’s new collection Differential Diagnosis will be published in March 2026 by Curbstone Books and is available for preorder now
Editorial Assistant Jon Doyle’s novel Communion is forthcoming in April 2026 from Atlantic Books
Poetry Editor CD Eskilson’s collection of Edith Södergran translations, Modern Woman, is available for preorder now from World Poetry Contributor
Contributor Elisa Gabbert’s new book My Void is forthcoming in 2028 from FSG
Vanessa Hua sold her new narrative nonfiction book Uprooted: a Chinese American Story of Survival and Resistance to Tin House
Contributor Devin Kelly’s book Pilgrims was published on November 18th by Great Place Books
Contributor Sara Lippmann’s new book Hidden River is forthcoming from tortoise press in May 2026
Her book Jerks was republished from Tortoise Press
Memoir reader Karina Manta’s book Nine Months will be illustrated by Lilith Wu and published at CROWN Children’s in summer 2027
Contributor Shane McCrae’s new collection Songs and Sonnets was published on October 31st by Broken Sleep Books
Contributor Adrienne Novy’s chapbook good luck in the real world is forthcoming in spring 2026 from Button Poetry and is available for preorder now
Poetry reader Lucie Pereira’s chapbook From Here to the Ocean was published by Fishing Line Press
Poetry reader Mack Rogers’ essay “The father, the son, and the I.D.I. spirit” was published in the anthology Queer Communion: Religion in Appalachia
Former Flash Editor Eshani Surya’s book Ravishing was published on November 11 by Grove Atlantic
Contributor Kristina Ten’s collection Tell Me Yours, I’ll Tell You Mine was published October 7th by Stillhouse Press
Awards, Honors, & News
Memoir reader Ashley Anderson is now the Creative Nonfiction Editor at Pleiades
Contributor Jean-Luc Bouchard is now the Creative Nonfiction Editor for Shenandoah
InteR/e/views Editor Daniel Garcia won Lambda’s 2025 Denneny Prize for Editorial Excellence and was interviewed
Contributor Megan Giddings’ book Meet Me at the Crossroads was included in The Washington Post’s list of 10 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2025
Meet Me at the Crossroads was also on Town & Country’s list of 20 Best Books of 2025
Contributor Vi Khi Nao is a finalist for the Black Lawrence Press June 2025 Open Reading Period
Contributing Editor Becky Robison’s book My Parents are Dead: What Now? received a starred review in Library Journal
Poetry reader Bleah Patterson will be part of the 2026-2027 SWWIM Residency at The Betsy Hotel
Contributor Deesha Philyaw is the judge for the 7th Annual STORY Foundation Prize and was interviewed in Story
Contributor Vónbjørt Vang’s book Svørt orkidé won the 2025 Nordic Council Literature Prize
Contributor Casey Mulligan Walsh’s memoir The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared won The Independent Author Network’s non-fiction book of the year