THE FAM ROUNDUP: WINTER 2025-2026
Winter was a fruitful season for the SLM FAM! As the world thaws, take the opportunity to check out this set of wonderful publications and accomplishments!
Publications, Interviews, & Reviews
Contributor James Tadd Adcox’s flash “Cyberstalker” was published in HAD
Contributor Ally Ang was interviewed for Poetry Northwest
Their poetry collection Let the Moon Wobble was reviewed in World Literature Today
Contributor Sudha Balagopal’s flash “Desert Squall” was published in Temple in a City
Her story “Before, After, Now” was published in Frazzled Lit
Contributor Tyler Barton’s story “The Idler” was published in Kevin Wilson's 12 Days of Stories
Contributor Eric Calloway was interviewed for The Hartford Arts Pages
Contributor Seán Carlson's “Painting the Last Photograph” was published in the fall/winter 2025 issue of the New England Review
His poem “Curry soup at a Polish bakery in Tralee” was published in Issue 63 of Crannóg
His poem "Elegant Spring" was published in The Irish Independent as the November 2025 New Irish Writing winner
His essay “Henry Street at Christmas, 2012” was published in Bulb Culture Collective.
Contributor Dorothy Chan published a poem in the summer/fall issue of Poet Lore
Contributor K-Ming Chang was published in ECO24: The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction
Contributor Michael Chang’s poem “STARDUST” was published in Revolute
His interview with D.S. Waldman was published in The Rumpus
His poems “BAND OF OUTSIDERS,” “PITY THE NATION,” and “TENDER IDOLS” were published in Cobra Milk
Fiction reader Garima Chhikara’s piece “The Forest of Me” was published in Boudin
Her flash “When All She Has To Say Is The Last Word Said To Her” was published in Across the Margin
Her story “Witch Luck” was published in Cherry Tree
Her flash “Listen, You Object” was published in Roi Fainéant
Flash reader M. Ursula Chmiel’s story “Norwood Park Novena” was published in Maudlin House
Her flash “Come Join us at the Slumber Party Behind John Wayne Gacy’s Lot” was published in Literary Garage
Contributor Chloe N. Clark published a piece in Undertow’s Weird Horror #12
Her micro “She Said God But She Meant Silver” was published in Ghost Parachute
Her story “We Buy Houses” was published in Volume 1 Brooklyn
Contributor Samantha Xiao Cody’s piece “A Serious Violinist” was published in the winter issue of The Southern Review
Memoir reader Michael Todd Cohen’s article “The First Black Family in Lordship” was published in the Stratford Crier
Contributor and former poetry reader T. De Los Reyes’ poem “Self-Study” was published in Sixth Finch
Contributor Darren C. Demaree’s poem “A Ban, A Death #16” was published in Hawai’i Pacific Review
Contributor Steve Edwards’ piece “On the Infinite Lives of the Library” was published in Literary Hub
Contributor JR Fenn’s piece “Beach Day Escape” was published in In Short
Contributor Séamus Isaac Fey’s poems “My therapist graduated me,” “Thank god,” and “EMDR” were published in The Adroit Journal
Flash reader Adrian Dallas Frandle’s poems “Dracaena trifasciata,” “Monstera deliciosa,” and “Spathiphyllum” were published in Alocasia
Contributor Kathy Fish’s piece “To Gesture and Aloud” was published in Frigg
Contributor Elisa Gabbert published a list of “The Best Poetry of 2025” in The New York Times
Contributor Scott Garson’s flash “House Shoe” was published in Boudin
His piece “( )” was published in Centaur
His shorts “Lottery” and “My Cat Gets Loose in the Steakhouse” were translated into Spanish for Susurros Chinos’ Instantáneas de ficción. Volumen 6
Contributor Beth Gilstrap published three micros from her book There Is News Along The Ohio River in Cleaver
Contributor Christopher Gonzalez’s story “Home is a Relative Term” was published in Short Story, Long
Fiction reader Joey Hedger’s story “The Gunshine State” was published in Variant Literature
Contributor Sabrina Hicks’ story “Assholes” was published in Bullshit Lit
Contributor Amorak Huey’s poem “Gossamer” was published in ONE ART
His poem “Can Take the Boy out of the South, Etc.” was published in Anti-Heroin Chic
Fiction reader Valerie Hughes’ flash “Window Seat” was published along with an interview in SmokeLong
Flash reader Robin Van Impe contributed recommendations for three of Literary Hub’s 100 Notable Small Press Books of 2025
Former Editorial Fiction Assistant Anna Vangala Jones’ flash “My Clay Sister and Me” was published in Monkeybicycle
Her story “Mae and Me” was reprinted in Doric Literary
Her flash “Two Old Friends and a Ghost Walk Into the Woods” was published in CRAFT
Her story “Maybe Mary” was published in Terrazzo Editions
Her story “A Love Story Told in Nine Lives” was published in Short Story, Long
Contributor Abbie Kiefer was interviewed for Gulf Coast
Contributor and flash reader Ani King’s flash “Feels Like Rain” was published in Paranoid Tree
Their piece “Deer Run” was published in Broad Ripple Review
Contributor Arah Ko published a list of Chinese Zodiac poetry recommendations in Electric Lit and featured work from contributors Ally Ang and Asa Drake as well as Former Poetry Editor Marianne Chan
Contributor Joshua Jones Lofflin was published in ECO24: The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction
Contributor Kim Magowan was interviewed for JMWW
Her flashes “I Spy,” “Now Are You Sorry?” and “How to Keep Yourself from Floating All the Way Up” were published in Frigg
Contributor Kristine Langley Mahler’s essay "Foxglove" was published in The Rumpus
Her flash “A Plate, a Name, a Pile of Dirt” was published in Broad Ripple Review
Contributor Derek Maiolo’s piece “You Again” was published in the winter 2025/26 issue of Indiana Review
Contributor Ilana Masad’s review of Nina McConigley’s How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder was published in Alta
Her story “Hollow” was published in the fall 2025 issue of Prairie Schooner
Contributor Shane McCrae’s sonnet “Jones Very Sonnet on the Mirror Stage” was published in The Sonneteer
“Only Sing,” the collection of John Berryman poems he edited, was published on December 9th from Farrar, Straus and Giroux and was reviewed in Kismet
He was interviewed for the Chicago Review of Books
Contributor K.C. Mead Brewer published a review of Gail Butensky and Grant Faulkner’s something out there in the distance in SmokeLong
Contributor Claudia Monpere’s flash “Potato Boy” was published in JMWW
Her flash “Stroked” was published in Ghost Parachute
Her flash “The Periodic Family” was published in Centaur
Contributor Sarah Fawn Montgomery’s essay collection Abbreviate was listed in Literary Hub’s 100 Notable Small Press Books of 2025
Her piece “Medical Intake for Your Suffering” was published in Hunger Mountain
Poetry Editor Rita Mookerjee’s poem “Cardboard Cutout Palm Tree” will be included in ALOCASIA: 99 queer writers on plants and nature
Contributor nat raum’s poem “haworthia fasciata” will be included in ALOCASIA: 99 queer writers on plants and nature
Contributor Leslie Pietrzyk’s story “Krista Robinson, Age 21 3/4, Wants These Things to Be True” was published in The Hudson Review
Poetry reader Lucie Pereira’s poem “Serendipity in the Modern Age” was published in The Sunlight Press
Fiction reader Katherine Plumhoff’s flash “My mom said if it’s okay with your mom you can come over and watch Kitchen Nightmares” was published in Whale Road Review
Her flash “Good Sign of Future Happiness” was published along with an interview in SmokeLong
Flash reader Dallon Robinson’s flash “1969” was published in Flash Fiction Magazine
Contributing Editor Becky Robison’s list of “7 Books That Reveal How Capitalism Is Coming for Your Corpse” was published in Electric Lit
Contributor Michelle Ross’ flashes “The Idea,” “Novices,” and “Labor Division” were published in Frigg
Poetry reader Carson Sandell’s poem “Memento Vivere” was published in The Offing
Contributor James Keith Smith’s flash “Nearsighted / Farsighted” was published in South Florida Poetry Journal
Contributor Maggie Su’s book Blob was chosen as one of The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2025
Former Flash Editor Eshani Surya’s essay Writing the Joy of Chronic Illness as a Form of Resistance” was published in the Chicago Review of Books
Contributor Kristina Ten’s story “The H Word: Double Dog Dare You” was published in Nightmare
Assistant Poetry Editor Teri Vela’s poem “Eje” was published in Shenandoah
Senior Assistant Fiction Editor Analía Villagra’s story “The Base Camp” was published along with an interview in the autumn 2025 issue of The Southern Review
Contributor Stella Wong’s poem “Cenote” was published in Terrain.org
Poetry reader Allya Yourish’s poem “The corn sweats” will be included in ALOCASIA: 99 queer writers on plants and nature
Contributor Lucy Zhang’s piece “Labor” was published in Boudin
Her flash “Boy” was published in Flash Frog
Assistant Fiction Editor Tina Zhu’s story “At the Dentist's in Arlington Heights” will be included in Best Microfiction 2026
Books
Contributor Cortney Lamar Charleston’s collection It’s Important I Remember was published on February 15th from Curbstone Books
Contributor Chloe N. Clark’s collection Every Galaxy a Circle was published on January 15th from Jackleg Press
Poetry Editor CD Eskilson’s poetry collection Life with Wings was a finalist for the 2025 Charles B. Wheeler Poetry Prize
Contributor JR Fenn’s chapbook “Tiny Vessels,” which won The Masters Review’s 2024 Chapbook Open, was published on February 05th from Red Mare Press
Contributor Beth Gilstrap’s book There Is News Along The Ohio River was published on February 24th from River River Books
Contributor Renny Gong sold his novel Ping Pong Kids (excerpted in The Paris Review) to Ecco
Contributor Victoria Hood’s collection “Destroy Me, Desecrate My Bones” was published on February 10th from Girl Noise Press
Contributor and flash reader Ani King’s debut collection Family Night is forthcoming in Fall 2026 from Mason Jar Press
Contributor Arah Ko’s debut poetry collection Brine Orchid was published on December 16th from YesYes Books
Contributor Kristine Langley Mahler’s essay collection Teen Queen Training was published on February 17th from Autofocus Books
Contributor Deesha Philyaw edited the An Anthology of Rural Stories by Writers of Color, 2025, published December 2nd from EastOver Press
Contributing Editor Becky Robison’s book My Parents Are Dead: What Now? was published on January 6th by Quirk Books
Contributor Brett Stuckel’s debut poetry collection Neurocabin was published on January 1st from Spuyten Duyvil
Contributor Amy Thatcher won the 2025 Charles B. Wheeler Poetry Prize for her collection Weird Girl, forthcoming from Mad Creek Books
Awards, Honors, and News
Contributor Ally Ang’s poetry collection Let the Moon Wobble received the Barbara Gittings Literature Award Honor
Contributor Sudha Balagopal’s collection Family Matters was awarded SFWP’s 2025 Literary Award
Fiction Editor Anna Cabe won Fractured Literary’s 2025 Flash Fiction Open with her piece “Blackboxing”
Contributor Michael Chang’s collection ROMANCE XXL was a finalist for the 2025 Charles B. Wheeler Poetry Prize
Former Poetry Contest Judge Chen Chen’s poem “All I Love” won a Pushcart Prize (his third!) and was published in the 2026 Pushcart Prize Anthology
Contributor Josh Denslow’s story collection Magic Can’t Save Us was listed in Literary Hub’s 100 Notable Small Press Books of 2025
Contributor Kimaya Diggs opened for Mavis Staples in Medford, MA and Phoenixville, PA
Editorial Assistant Jon Doyle was named an Observer Best Debut Novelist of 2026 for his book Communion
Contributor JR Fenn will be a Spring 2026 Ucross Fellow
Contributor and flash reader Ani King’s piece “I'll Be Waiting” received the Monarch Queer Literary Award
Former Fiction Editor Jon Chaiim McConnell was selected as a Delaware Division of the Arts 2026 Individual Artist Fellow
Contributor Shane McCrae’s collection New and Collected Hell was named a finalist for the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection
Contributor Skyler Melnick’s story “Sisterhood of Dirt” won Prairie Schooner’s Lawrence Foundation Award
Contributor and Assistant Editor jj peña was awarded the Creative Capital 2026 Inaugural State of the Art Prize for Literature
Contributor Maggie Su’s book Blob is a finalist for the 2026 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
Contributor Kristina Ten will be the prose judge for this year’s Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Queer Writer Fellowship