Abigail Oswald
@abigailoswald.bsky.social
detective investigating life | Lost/Found editor at Split/Lip Press | abigailwashere.com/links
Pinned
Abigail Oswald
@abigailoswald.bsky.social
· Nov 29
I'm so excited to share my zines online for the first time! ☺️ four new zines to inspire creativity and everyday adventures, all available for immediate download on Itch at a name-your-price option: abigailoswald.itch.io
more details about each one in the thread!
more details about each one in the thread!
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
MY BOOK IS A FINALIST!!!!!!!!!!!
We are excited to announce the finalists for the 2026 PEN America Literary Awards! Our finalists range from promising debut authors to literary legends. Learn more about this year's honorees: https://pen.org/2026-pen-america-literary-awards-finalists/
Announcing the 2026 PEN America Literary Awards Finalists
PEN America is thrilled to announce the Finalists for the 2026 Literary Awards. Join us for the Ceremony on March 31, 2026!
pen.org
January 29, 2026 at 6:07 PM
MY BOOK IS A FINALIST!!!!!!!!!!!
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
YES WE ARE DOING THIS AGAIN, but this time, it's for our brand new Multigenre + Chapbook team: our MG/C editor, @erinvachon.bsky.social, is looking for readers to join their 2026 MG/C reading team! Readers are COMPENSATED!
More details forthcoming on the app, which will be available on Fri Jan 30!
More details forthcoming on the app, which will be available on Fri Jan 30!
January 28, 2026 at 2:20 PM
YES WE ARE DOING THIS AGAIN, but this time, it's for our brand new Multigenre + Chapbook team: our MG/C editor, @erinvachon.bsky.social, is looking for readers to join their 2026 MG/C reading team! Readers are COMPENSATED!
More details forthcoming on the app, which will be available on Fri Jan 30!
More details forthcoming on the app, which will be available on Fri Jan 30!
my latest zine guides you through an adventure at your local library! pick a path—choice or chance—and see what books you end up with 📚
abigailoswald.itch.io/begin-at-the...
abigailoswald.itch.io/begin-at-the...
January 27, 2026 at 4:46 PM
my latest zine guides you through an adventure at your local library! pick a path—choice or chance—and see what books you end up with 📚
abigailoswald.itch.io/begin-at-the...
abigailoswald.itch.io/begin-at-the...
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
Hi friends, just checking in from Minneapolis. Can we put out a couple asks for your support? 💕
Turns out, it's really hard to run a lit mag in your free time when the federal government has besieged your beloved city.
Turns out, it's really hard to run a lit mag in your free time when the federal government has besieged your beloved city.
January 25, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Hi friends, just checking in from Minneapolis. Can we put out a couple asks for your support? 💕
Turns out, it's really hard to run a lit mag in your free time when the federal government has besieged your beloved city.
Turns out, it's really hard to run a lit mag in your free time when the federal government has besieged your beloved city.
during the worst year of my life I developed an obsession with Mothman that culminated in the writing of this @brightwalldarkroom.com piece. 24 years since its release, THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES remains worth a watch for anyone trying to figure out how to make peace with the unknown
13 Ways of Looking at The Mothman Prophecies
The Mothman Prophecies illustrates anxiety’s steady build of dread. The deeper John tunnels into his investigation, the more he becomes convinced that some terrible event is fast approaching. He becom...
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
January 25, 2026 at 3:10 PM
during the worst year of my life I developed an obsession with Mothman that culminated in the writing of this @brightwalldarkroom.com piece. 24 years since its release, THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES remains worth a watch for anyone trying to figure out how to make peace with the unknown
David Lynch would've been 80 today; I've spent a lot of this last year thinking about his work. I have a tendency to try to "solve" things, but Lynch taught me how to sit with mysteries + accept that not everything has an answer ❤️ so grateful for his art
abigailoswald.substack.com/p/mysteries-...
abigailoswald.substack.com/p/mysteries-...
Mysteries Abound
Will I ever unravel the secrets of Twin Peaks?
abigailoswald.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:26 PM
David Lynch would've been 80 today; I've spent a lot of this last year thinking about his work. I have a tendency to try to "solve" things, but Lynch taught me how to sit with mysteries + accept that not everything has an answer ❤️ so grateful for his art
abigailoswald.substack.com/p/mysteries-...
abigailoswald.substack.com/p/mysteries-...
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
Friends, our community here in MN desperately needs help protecting against ICE.
Please join us in donating directly to these orgs that provide food, safety & legal support to MN immigrants.
And if you’ve been meaning to pick up a zine from our shop, there’s never been a better time. 💌
Please join us in donating directly to these orgs that provide food, safety & legal support to MN immigrants.
And if you’ve been meaning to pick up a zine from our shop, there’s never been a better time. 💌
January 16, 2026 at 8:44 PM
Friends, our community here in MN desperately needs help protecting against ICE.
Please join us in donating directly to these orgs that provide food, safety & legal support to MN immigrants.
And if you’ve been meaning to pick up a zine from our shop, there’s never been a better time. 💌
Please join us in donating directly to these orgs that provide food, safety & legal support to MN immigrants.
And if you’ve been meaning to pick up a zine from our shop, there’s never been a better time. 💌
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
"another woman watching another movie about another dead girl, trying once more to make sense out of something that will never make sense; a life taken and a girl gone, try as I might to keep her alive through language." Read @abigailoswald.bsky.social! www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/12/26/i...
Did She Have Dreams? Nolan's Insomnia (2002) in Five Women
It’s true that storytelling can be a form of manipulation. But it can also offer the best means of illuminating the truth.
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
January 19, 2026 at 9:25 PM
"another woman watching another movie about another dead girl, trying once more to make sense out of something that will never make sense; a life taken and a girl gone, try as I might to keep her alive through language." Read @abigailoswald.bsky.social! www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/12/26/i...
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
📅✏️ Mark your calendar!
🕵️ You’re invited to a virtual celebration on January 21 at 10am PT. This year’s #PublicDomainDay event pursues The Case of the Disappearing Copyright.
Expect detectives, jazz-age culture, classic films, & more newly-free works from 1930.
🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/1977502652...
🕵️ You’re invited to a virtual celebration on January 21 at 10am PT. This year’s #PublicDomainDay event pursues The Case of the Disappearing Copyright.
Expect detectives, jazz-age culture, classic films, & more newly-free works from 1930.
🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/1977502652...
January 14, 2026 at 4:45 PM
📅✏️ Mark your calendar!
🕵️ You’re invited to a virtual celebration on January 21 at 10am PT. This year’s #PublicDomainDay event pursues The Case of the Disappearing Copyright.
Expect detectives, jazz-age culture, classic films, & more newly-free works from 1930.
🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/1977502652...
🕵️ You’re invited to a virtual celebration on January 21 at 10am PT. This year’s #PublicDomainDay event pursues The Case of the Disappearing Copyright.
Expect detectives, jazz-age culture, classic films, & more newly-free works from 1930.
🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/1977502652...
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
Now reading your zine submissions! We’ll feature selected zines in our digital Spring ‘26 Edit AND our zine-vending Zine Machine, which will be stationed at @setandsettingshop. ✨We are a paying market! ✨
Graphic flair by @friendly.dirt.pile 💬
Graphic flair by @friendly.dirt.pile 💬
January 12, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Now reading your zine submissions! We’ll feature selected zines in our digital Spring ‘26 Edit AND our zine-vending Zine Machine, which will be stationed at @setandsettingshop. ✨We are a paying market! ✨
Graphic flair by @friendly.dirt.pile 💬
Graphic flair by @friendly.dirt.pile 💬
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
If you let them, the horrors will devour you whole. Making space to live and smile is an act of resistance. So is helping others to do the same. If you’re an artist in this time, remember that what you’re doing is part of the emotional support infrastructure. They want you silent. 1/2
January 9, 2026 at 4:17 PM
If you let them, the horrors will devour you whole. Making space to live and smile is an act of resistance. So is helping others to do the same. If you’re an artist in this time, remember that what you’re doing is part of the emotional support infrastructure. They want you silent. 1/2
some notes from me here about following a particular actor through the stories they choose to tell in their lifetime, and lots of wonderful insight from the group on watching movies in 2025!
New today!
Our reflections on the best movies and first watches of 2025, featuring @eccantwell.bsky.social, @frankfalisi.bsky.social, @franhoepfner.bsky.social, @dodgyboffin.com, @russellnichols.bsky.social @abigailoswald.bsky.social, @chadperman.bsky.social, @aheartofgould.bsky.social & more
Our reflections on the best movies and first watches of 2025, featuring @eccantwell.bsky.social, @frankfalisi.bsky.social, @franhoepfner.bsky.social, @dodgyboffin.com, @russellnichols.bsky.social @abigailoswald.bsky.social, @chadperman.bsky.social, @aheartofgould.bsky.social & more
BW/DR Picks: The Best of 2025
Bright Wall/Dark Room editors and contributors share their favorite movies, first watches, and movie moments of 2025.
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:54 PM
some notes from me here about following a particular actor through the stories they choose to tell in their lifetime, and lots of wonderful insight from the group on watching movies in 2025!
four years ago today, Catapult published a story of mine called "City Wolf." it's a story about loneliness and possibility and sisterhood (and werewolves, obviously), and I am so very happy it's in the world 💜
magazine.catapult.co/fiction/stor...
magazine.catapult.co/fiction/stor...
January 7, 2026 at 4:04 PM
four years ago today, Catapult published a story of mine called "City Wolf." it's a story about loneliness and possibility and sisterhood (and werewolves, obviously), and I am so very happy it's in the world 💜
magazine.catapult.co/fiction/stor...
magazine.catapult.co/fiction/stor...
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
INCOMING!!!
Extremely rare opportunity that hasn't come up in YEARS: on Jan 8, we'll be opening for applications to join the Split/Lip Press editorial team as our Novel/Novella Book Editor! Our beloved Kate Finegan is stepping down this year from her position (which she initiated for us in 2020!).
Extremely rare opportunity that hasn't come up in YEARS: on Jan 8, we'll be opening for applications to join the Split/Lip Press editorial team as our Novel/Novella Book Editor! Our beloved Kate Finegan is stepping down this year from her position (which she initiated for us in 2020!).
January 5, 2026 at 2:57 PM
INCOMING!!!
Extremely rare opportunity that hasn't come up in YEARS: on Jan 8, we'll be opening for applications to join the Split/Lip Press editorial team as our Novel/Novella Book Editor! Our beloved Kate Finegan is stepping down this year from her position (which she initiated for us in 2020!).
Extremely rare opportunity that hasn't come up in YEARS: on Jan 8, we'll be opening for applications to join the Split/Lip Press editorial team as our Novel/Novella Book Editor! Our beloved Kate Finegan is stepping down this year from her position (which she initiated for us in 2020!).
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
Dec 31st - At a New Years Eve party, Sally realises she misses Harry, at which point Harry suddenly appears.
📽️📅 When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
📽️📅 When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
December 31, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Dec 31st - At a New Years Eve party, Sally realises she misses Harry, at which point Harry suddenly appears.
📽️📅 When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
📽️📅 When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
in which I briefly yell about my discovery of Short Story Dispensers (turns out you can find 'em all over the world—check out the map in the link below!)
shoutout to Aaron for going above + beyond to not just publish wonderful work, but also cultivate a community!
short-edition.com/en/p/find-a-...
shoutout to Aaron for going above + beyond to not just publish wonderful work, but also cultivate a community!
short-edition.com/en/p/find-a-...
December 30, 2025 at 3:58 PM
in which I briefly yell about my discovery of Short Story Dispensers (turns out you can find 'em all over the world—check out the map in the link below!)
shoutout to Aaron for going above + beyond to not just publish wonderful work, but also cultivate a community!
short-edition.com/en/p/find-a-...
shoutout to Aaron for going above + beyond to not just publish wonderful work, but also cultivate a community!
short-edition.com/en/p/find-a-...
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
With Cameron Crowe’s new memoir, The Uncool, now on bookshelves, the Almost Famous writer-director takes Brian Formo on a tour of his filmmaking career, from the lasting legacy of Jerry Maguire quotes to his favorite cinematic needle drops. Read the full story on Journal here: boxd.it/2TU
I’m With the Band: Almost Famous filmmaker Cameron Crowe on forging a career by meshing music with movies • Journal • A Letterboxd Magazine
With Cameron Crowe’s new memoir, The Uncool, now on bookshelves, the Almost Famous writer-director takes Brian Formo on a tour of his filmmaking career, from the lasting legacy of Jerry Maguire quotes...
boxd.it
December 29, 2025 at 10:42 PM
With Cameron Crowe’s new memoir, The Uncool, now on bookshelves, the Almost Famous writer-director takes Brian Formo on a tour of his filmmaking career, from the lasting legacy of Jerry Maguire quotes to his favorite cinematic needle drops. Read the full story on Journal here: boxd.it/2TU
finding @brightwalldarkroom.com years ago changed my life!
as a reader, I found the kind of film writing I'd always been looking for.
as a viewer, I've had countless opportunities to see the movies I love in a new way.
and as a writer, I found my voice—something that matters more now than ever.
as a reader, I found the kind of film writing I'd always been looking for.
as a viewer, I've had countless opportunities to see the movies I love in a new way.
and as a writer, I found my voice—something that matters more now than ever.
New today on the site!
Did She Have Dreams?: Christopher Nolan’s INSOMNIA in Five Women - @abigailoswald.bsky.social
(🎨 by @marcaspinall.bsky.social)
Did She Have Dreams?: Christopher Nolan’s INSOMNIA in Five Women - @abigailoswald.bsky.social
(🎨 by @marcaspinall.bsky.social)
Did She Have Dreams? Nolan's Insomnia (2002) in Five Women
It’s true that storytelling can be a form of manipulation. But it can also offer the best means of illuminating the truth.
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM
finding @brightwalldarkroom.com years ago changed my life!
as a reader, I found the kind of film writing I'd always been looking for.
as a viewer, I've had countless opportunities to see the movies I love in a new way.
and as a writer, I found my voice—something that matters more now than ever.
as a reader, I found the kind of film writing I'd always been looking for.
as a viewer, I've had countless opportunities to see the movies I love in a new way.
and as a writer, I found my voice—something that matters more now than ever.
had a blast exploring Nolan's INSOMNIA by taking a closer look at the women who shape its story for @brightwalldarkroom.com!
www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/12/26/i...
www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/12/26/i...
Did She Have Dreams? Nolan's Insomnia (2002) in Five Women
It’s true that storytelling can be a form of manipulation. But it can also offer the best means of illuminating the truth.
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
December 26, 2025 at 11:08 PM
had a blast exploring Nolan's INSOMNIA by taking a closer look at the women who shape its story for @brightwalldarkroom.com!
www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/12/26/i...
www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/12/26/i...
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
The early web was driven by curiosity & openness, not monetization.
Audrey Witters reflects on that era, using her now-famous animated alien GIF as an example of how playful, freely-shared work helped shape digital culture & why preserving it matters.
Learn more ⤵️ blog.archive.org/2025/12/22/a...
Audrey Witters reflects on that era, using her now-famous animated alien GIF as an example of how playful, freely-shared work helped shape digital culture & why preserving it matters.
Learn more ⤵️ blog.archive.org/2025/12/22/a...
December 22, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The early web was driven by curiosity & openness, not monetization.
Audrey Witters reflects on that era, using her now-famous animated alien GIF as an example of how playful, freely-shared work helped shape digital culture & why preserving it matters.
Learn more ⤵️ blog.archive.org/2025/12/22/a...
Audrey Witters reflects on that era, using her now-famous animated alien GIF as an example of how playful, freely-shared work helped shape digital culture & why preserving it matters.
Learn more ⤵️ blog.archive.org/2025/12/22/a...
Rob Reiner was still alive when I mailed this zine to a friend last wk 💔 today she sent me photos of it filled w/ memories of his work + it made me cry! I was so focused on the idea of thanking living creators that I'd never thought about using it to process grief—here it is again; I hope it helps ❤️
An Exercise in Creative Gratitude is an invitation to thank a creator who changed your life—the prompts walk you through a personal meditation on a fave piece of art/media
(dedicated to Keri Smith of Wreck This Journal fame!)
abigailoswald.itch.io/an-exercise-...
(dedicated to Keri Smith of Wreck This Journal fame!)
abigailoswald.itch.io/an-exercise-...
An Exercise in Creative Gratitude by abigail oswald
An invitation to thank a creator who changed your life.
abigailoswald.itch.io
December 19, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Rob Reiner was still alive when I mailed this zine to a friend last wk 💔 today she sent me photos of it filled w/ memories of his work + it made me cry! I was so focused on the idea of thanking living creators that I'd never thought about using it to process grief—here it is again; I hope it helps ❤️
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
It's very potent to see so many small press books on the PEN longlists. Our authors write incredible books, and this is a powerful testament that our boundary-breaking mission at SLP is being seen, recognized, and honored. We're going to keep doing what we're doing, because IT'S OBVIOUSLY WORKING!!
December 18, 2025 at 11:36 PM
It's very potent to see so many small press books on the PEN longlists. Our authors write incredible books, and this is a powerful testament that our boundary-breaking mission at SLP is being seen, recognized, and honored. We're going to keep doing what we're doing, because IT'S OBVIOUSLY WORKING!!
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
WE HAVE BEEN ALL-CAPS SCREAMING AT SLP HQ SINCE WE FOUND OUT!!!
CONGRATS, @haydenmcasey13.bsky.social!!!
CONGRATS, @haydenmcasey13.bsky.social!!!
We're hugging everyone we see because we're so thrilled: @haydenmcasey13.bsky.social 's book, SHOW ME WHERE THE HURT IS, is longlisted for the 2026 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection!!!
December 19, 2025 at 12:22 AM
WE HAVE BEEN ALL-CAPS SCREAMING AT SLP HQ SINCE WE FOUND OUT!!!
CONGRATS, @haydenmcasey13.bsky.social!!!
CONGRATS, @haydenmcasey13.bsky.social!!!
my writing life completely changed when I prioritized finding joy in the process and let go of everything else—I can't wait to see where next year's creative experiments lead me, and I'm looking forward to discovering more of that joy ☺️
My 2026 writing goal is to finally finish this novel in the first half and then write weird shit for the second half. What's your writing goal?
December 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
my writing life completely changed when I prioritized finding joy in the process and let go of everything else—I can't wait to see where next year's creative experiments lead me, and I'm looking forward to discovering more of that joy ☺️
Reposted by Abigail Oswald
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my book is on here???? i am unable to comprehend this occurrence
December 18, 2025 at 10:14 PM
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my book is on here???? i am unable to comprehend this occurrence