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Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts
@blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
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An online journal of literature and the arts led by grad students at VCU. We publish poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, & more. Submissions are open!
https://linktr.ee/blackbirdjournal
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Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts @blackbirdjournal.bsky.social · Sep 15
New socials update... Blackbird is HERE! We are stoked to be making the switch to Bluesky, and we can't wait for you all to meet us here. We will be sharing some content today that we've had on the back burner, so be sure to scroll through our feed to find out what we've been up to recently!
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
DATE CHANGE ALERT‼️ VCU's newest faculty members teaching in the MFA program for Creative Writing will be reading their work on February 9th (this Monday!) at 7pm at the James Cabell Library. Come with open ears and open hearts! 📖
A flyer promoting a VCU Visiting Writers Series event with a white background and colorful geometric shapes in teal, yellow, purple, and navy decorating the corners and top. Centered black text reads: “THE VCU VISITING WRITERS SERIES HOSTS A JOINT-READING BY RECENTLY HIRED VCU FACULTY EDGAR KUNZ & DEVON WALKER-FIGUEROA.” Beneath this text are the headshots of Edgar Kunz and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Below the portraits next to a calendar and clock icon, the text reads: “DATE CHANGE: FEBRUARY 9 AT 7:00PM.” On the right, next to a location pin icon, the text reads: “JAMES BRANCH CABELL LIBRARY LECTURE HALL (ROOM 303).” At the bottom of the flyer, separated by a horizontal line, the text reads: “MORE INFORMATION https://english.vcu.edu/events/.” On the right, the text reads: “CONTACT US rbpander@vcu.edu."
February 4, 2026 at 5:14 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
Struggling to find your next read? Check out our reviews section in Flight 24.1 to see what books and collections have caught Blackbird's eye. Paul Lomio's review may just convince you of where to turn next!

blackbird.vcu.edu/review-light-me-down-the-new-collected-poems-of-jean-valentine/
A screenshot of the beginning of Paul Lomio's review entitled, "Review: Light Me Down: The New & Collected Poems of Jean Valentine," as it appears on the Blackbird website.
February 3, 2026 at 6:53 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
Have you been able to check out AJ White's craft essay in Flight 24.1? Read it at blackbird.vcu.edu now! 📝
A screenshot of the beginning of AJ White's craft essay, "It is the Echo: Poetic Spiritualism in Charles Wright’s Appalachian Book of the Dead & in Late Twentieth & Early Twenty-First Century Poetry," as it appears on the Blackbird website.
January 30, 2026 at 4:53 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
In "Three Polystichs," Ian Cappelli articulates a strangeness rendered intangible without his words to describe it. A one-of-a-kind poem. Read the full piece at blackbird.vcu.edu!
An olive green-bordered graphic featuring a poetry excerpt. At the top left, the title reads “Three Polystichs” followed by the author’s name, Ian Cappelli. Below, a short prose-poem quote appears, reading: “Empathy is to imagine knowledge of another person—it is to replace them with yourself. He was always good at picking things up with his toes.” At the bottom left, the footer reads “Poetry / Blackbird v24n1.” In the bottom right corner is the Blackbird bird logo. A black-and-white portrait photograph of Ian Cappelli, shown from the chest up. The background shows a softly focused cityscape beneath a cloudy sky, suggesting an elevated outdoor viewpoint. The portrait is framed by an olive-green border.
January 28, 2026 at 4:16 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
If you're in the Richmond area, you do not want to miss this event. VCU's newest faculty members teaching in the MFA program for Creative writing will be reading their work on January 29th (this Thursday!) at 7pm at the James Cabell Library. Come with open ears and open hearts! 📖
A flyer promoting a VCU Visiting Writers Series event with a white background and colorful geometric shapes in teal, yellow, purple, and navy decorating the corners and top. Centered black text reads: “THE VCU VISITING WRITERS SERIES HOSTS A JOINT-READING BY RECENTLY HIRED VCU FACULTY EDGAR KUNZ & DEVON WALKER-FIGUEROA.” Beneath this text are the headshots of Edgar Kunz and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Below the portraits next to a calendar and clock icon, the text reads: “JANUARY 29 AT 7:00PM.” On the right, next to a location pin icon, the text reads: “JAMES BRANCH CABELL LIBRARY LECTURE HALL (ROOM 303).” At the bottom of the flyer, separated by a horizontal line, the text reads: “MORE INFORMATION https://english.vcu.edu/events/.” On the right, the text reads: “CONTACT US rbpander@vcu.edu."
January 26, 2026 at 6:44 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
We always draw attention to the *new* version of Blackbird, but thanks to Mary Flinn, advising founding editor; M.A. Keller, founding editor and online editor; and Kurtis Zirkle, lead coder & pagebuilder; our earlier publications live on at blackbird-archive.vcu.edu. Check it out!
A graphic with a dark, night-sky background featuring a large full moon centered behind a black bird silhouette in flight. Below the bird, the word “Blackbird” appears followed by the heading “Founders Archive.” Beneath this, smaller text reads, “21 years of 21st century literature and art.” Further down, centered and hyperlinked, the text reads, “Volumes 1–21.” A black background with a block of white text centered toward the upper half of the image. The text reads: “With a 140,000 pageviews recorded in the last twelve months, my goal for these forty-three issues is to repair and maintain base content as a free-to-read and free-to-teach resource. I also want to hear from both university and non-university faculty who use legacy Blackbird’s no cost materials nationally and internationally in their classrooms, as well as from readers, students, former contributors, and former staff who want to voice their support in making sure the archive remains available for students and future readers.” Below the paragraph, aligned left, the text reads: “-M.A. Keller.” A black background with a centered block of white text. The text reads: “[Archives are] another way of people who lived in the past, who perhaps are still living or perhaps are dead, being present. This seems to me absolutely one of the quintessential things about the human condition. It’s what actually distinguishes man from any other animal: living with those who have lived and the companionship of those who are no longer alive. Not necessarily the people that one knew personally, I mean the people perhaps whom one only knows by what they did, or what they left behind, this question of the company of the past, that’s what interests me . . .” Below this paragraph, the citation reads: “John Berger, interview quoted in Portraits: John Berger on Artists, (London: Verso, 2015), xvii.”
January 23, 2026 at 3:18 PM
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Read the entire insightful and well-crafted interview at blackbird.vcu.edu. ❤️
A blue-bordered graphic featuring an interview excerpt. At the top, the title reads “Interview with Kwame Dawes” in italics, followed by “Interviewed by Rasaq Malik Gbolahan” in bold. Below, a block of quoted prose appears, reading: “I do not feel burdened as a poet when faced with the knowledge of the history of colonialism, slavery, and their attendant effects on those I call ‘my people’ as well as the world in which I live. Poetry, in fact, is a shelter for me, and a kind of answer to that burden for meaning and understanding that comes with facing this ‘history’, this reality.” A thin horizontal line separates the quote from the footer text, which reads “Book Reviews, Craft Essays, and Interviews / Blackbird v24n1.” The Blackbird bird logo appears in the bottom right corner. A black-and-white portrait photograph of Kwame Dawes centered in frame, shown from the shoulders up. He is smiling broadly, wearing glasses, and looking directly at the camera. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an outdoor setting. The portrait is framed by a thick blue border. A black-and-white portrait photograph of Rasaq Malik Gbolahan, the interviewer, centered in frame and shown from the chest up. He has a full beard and short hair, with his arms crossed and a calm, confident expression while looking directly at the camera. He is wearing a patterned button-up shirt. The background is softly out of focus, suggesting an outdoor or urban environment. The image is framed by a thick blue border.
January 19, 2026 at 6:17 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
Two of Farley's translations can be found in our most recent Flight. Read these beauties at the link in our bio! 📖
A lavender-bordered graphic featuring a poem excerpt. At the top left, italic text reads: “The willow herb at the wood’s edge clothes itself.” Below, the author’s name appears in bold: Robert Marteau, followed by “Malcolm Greenlee Farley (translator)” in bold on the next line. Centered on the page is a short prose-poem paragraph that reads: “Pale on the primed hemp-weed, / a painted symbol between perches, the sun no longer / beams with the same arrogance it still had yesterday.” A thin horizontal line separates the poem from the footer text, which reads “Poetry / Blackbird v24n1.” In the bottom right corner is the Blackbird bird logo. A black-and-white headshot photograph of the translator, Malcolm Greenlee Farley, centered in frame and shown from the shoulders up. He is bald, wears dark rectangular glasses, and has a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He is dressed in a white collared shirt and dark tie, facing the camera with a slight, calm smile. The background is softly blurred. The portrait is framed by a thick lavender border.
January 16, 2026 at 7:20 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
Your lead and associate editors at Blackbird are back in session. Don't forget that we are OPEN for submissions in most genres! 🐦‍⬛

blackbird.submittable.com/submit
The lead and associate editors of Blackbird are seated around a long table for their editorial meeting. Some are focused on their laptops while others are in conversation with each other. A white board and projector can be seen in the background, identifying this room as a classroom. In the same classroom with the white board and projector, the lead and associate editors of Blackbird are seated at the long table. This time, they face the camera and smile.
January 14, 2026 at 6:19 PM
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"who will / hold you / he asked / & I said / only / I will"

Read the full poem at the link below.💫

blackbird.vcu.edu/not-conversation-with-my-former-self/
A beige-bordered graphic featuring a poem excerpt. At the top left, the title reads “Not-Conversation with My Former Self” in italics, followed by the author's name, AJ White, in bold. Below, a short poem appears in stacked lines: “he said / how do you / lose & stay / alive / I said learn / that to have / is not to have / & memory / won’t hold you.” A thin horizontal line separates the poem from the footer text, which reads “Poetry / Blackbird v24n1.” In the bottom right corner is the Blackbird bird logo. A black-and-white portrait photograph of AJ White centered in frame, shown from the shoulders up. He has short hair, a neutral, calm expression, and is looking directly at the camera. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an outdoor setting with light filtering through foliage. The portrait is framed by a thick beige border.
January 9, 2026 at 5:35 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
Our poetry submissions may still be closed... but we have so much more we're looking for! We can’t wait to read, watch, witness, and discover alongside you. Happy New Year!

blackbird.submittable.com/submit
Graphic with a light cream background. At top left, the word “Reminder:” appears in italics. Below it, large bold text reads, “BLACKBIRD IS OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS,” followed by smaller text that says, “for most genres!” On the right side, a flat illustration shows a person in a green coat reading a book; a small black bird stands on top of their hat. A tree canopy sits overhead. Text-only graphic on a light cream background. Large bold text at the top reads, “Submit NOW in the following genres:” Below, a vertical list reads: “Fiction,” “Nonfiction,” “Video Essays,” “Sound-Based Lit,” “Art,” “Craft,” and “Essays/Reviews/Interviews.” A small black bird logo is centered near the bottom of the image. Text-only graphic on a light cream background. Bold text reads, “To view our submission guidelines and send us your work, head to:” Below, a URL is displayed: “blackbird.submittable.com/submit.” At the bottom, the Blackbird logo appears.
January 7, 2026 at 7:42 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
You may have seen my face, heard my voice, or read my words... In any case, it's a pleasure to be here with you, however you may show up. ❤️

Read our latest flight at blackbird.vcu.edu
Pink gradient background. At the top, italic text reads: “Meet Lead Media Editor.” Centered below is a stylized white smartphone frame containing a black-and-white portrait of Anna Leonard smiling and turning slightly to the side; she has short hair and a buttercup tattoo on her back shoulder. Beneath the photo, bold text reads: “ANNA LEONARD.” Around the phone float pink, three-dimensional social media–style icons, including a thumbs-up, speech bubble, share arrow, heart, notification bell, and rounded geometric shapes. At the bottom, the Blackbird logo appears. Solid dusty-pink background. Near the top is a row of simple black outline icons: a thumbs-up, a speech bubble, a share arrow, a heart, and a smiling face. Centered text below reads: “As a writer myself, it has been the greatest gift to help our contributors and editors shine via our social media platforms. Interacting with such phenomenal authors and thoughtful readers has made all of the Adobe Express-ing worth it!” At the bottom center is a small black bird silhouette. Solid dusty-pink background. Near the top is the same row of black outline icons: thumbs-up, speech bubble, share arrow, heart, and smiling face. Centered text reads: “In this age of censoring media, defunding the arts, and dismantling the support of amplifying ALL voices…” Below, continuing text reads: “…journals like Blackbird are even more essential to ensuring that we may ALL be heard.” At the bottom center is a small black bird silhouette. Solid dusty-pink background. Near the top is the same row of black outline icons: thumbs-up, speech bubble, share arrow, heart, and smiling face. Centered text reads: “If you aren’t already, follow us on Instagram (@blackbirdjournal) and Bluesky (@blackbirdjournal.bsky.social) And if you haven’t yet done so, read our most recent flight at blackbird.vcu.edu. Thanks for being here.” At the bottom center is a small black bird silhouette.
January 5, 2026 at 8:30 PM
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What a gut punch of a quote. Oof. Thank you, Corey Zeller, for this stunner! Read the full poem at the link below. 🐦‍⬛

blackbird.vcu.edu/a-good-way-t...
White page with a chartreuse border. Title at top reads, “A Good Way to Fall in Love is to Turn Off the Headlights and Drive Very Fast Down Dark Roads.” Beneath the title is the author name, “Corey Zeller” Below, a block of prose reads: “In this poem, a poet says he cannot recognize his hands. In this poem, a poet says blossom a lot. Blossom after blossom after blossom. In this poem, Dean Young says we are full of holes. In another poem, Dean Young and Tony Hoagland talk about birds. About Dean Young’s heart surgery. How the new heart learning to beat inside him was like poetry.” A horizontal line separates the text from the footer. At the bottom left, italic text reads, “Poetry / Blackbird v24n1.” At the bottom right is a small blackbird icon. Black-and-white portrait photograph of Corey Zeller on what appears to be a train, seated next to a window at a table. The image is framed by a chartreuse border.
January 2, 2026 at 6:10 PM
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The world of literature lost a profoundly influential voice on December 23rd, 2025. Here are some quotes Blackbird is lucky to have from and about the great Vinod Kumar Shukla. More about him and his wise words can be read in his featured interview and Bhavya Bhagtani's review in Flight 23.2.
Teal background. White text at top reads, “Honoring Renowned Author” on one line, followed by larger cursive-style text reading, “Vinod Kumar Shukla.” Centered below is a black-and-white portrait photograph of an elderly man with short white hair, glasses, and a serious expression, wearing a light-colored kurta-style shirt. Beneath the portrait, white text reads, “(1937 – 2025).” A small white bird icon appears near the bottom center. Teal background with centered white text. The text reads: “Born in 1937 in Rajnandgaon, a city in the state of Chhattisgarh in Central India, Vinod Kumar Shukla (phonetically pronounced ‘shook-l’) was one of the most important poets of modern Hindi literature. With work that spans over the course of more than five decades, Shukla was awarded some of the highest national and international accolades, with his poetry and prose appearing in journals like Granta, Plume, Metamorphoses and elsewhere.” A small white bird icon appears centered near the bottom. Teal background with centered white text. The text reads: “In 1999, he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award, one of the most significant literary honours of India. In 2023, PEN America awarded him the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature. Needless to say, Blackbird is lucky to have gotten to feature his words and insights so shortly before his passing. The following slides include quotes from and about the dearly missed Vinod Kumar Shukla.” A small white bird icon appears centered near the bottom. Teal background. White text at top reads: “From Bhavya Bhagtani’s ‘Interview with Vinod Kumar Shukla’ from Flight 23.2:” Centered below is a quotation in white text: “Time exists all the time. But it is time that passes us by. Every single moment of ours slips into the past that was once gathered in the present. Likewise, moments from our future continually get added to the treasure that is our present.” Below the quote, the name “Vinod Kumar Shukla” appears in italicized white text. A small white bird icon is centered near the bottom.
December 31, 2025 at 5:22 PM
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Meet Lydia! She has been with Blackbird for around five months, and we are so grateful to have her on our team! Check out our newly published poetry at blackbird.vcu.edu. ⭐️
Graphic with a warm yellow gradient background. At the top, centered text reads: “Meet Associate Poetry Editor,” with a star icon on each side of the phrase. Below, a color photograph shows a person seated in a music studio, smiling at the camera. They are surrounded by musical equipment, including a keyboard, amplifiers, cables, and guitars. Below the photo, large bold text reads: “LYDIA BABCOCK.” At the bottom is the Blackbird logo with a small bird icon and the text: “Blackbird, an online journal of literature and the arts.” Yellow gradient background with a star icon centered near the top and bottom. Centered text appears as a quoted paragraph and reads: “The most rewarding part about being a poetry editor for Blackbird is getting to read so many different pieces every week. It’s so true that the more you read, the more you’re in a mindset to write. Getting to read such a wide array of material in an editorial mindset is really helpful in figuring out the nuances of how and why certain pieces work, and how I can apply those observations to my own writing.” Yellow gradient background with a star icon centered near the top and bottom. Centered quoted text reads: “I am so thankful to be a part of the amazing poetry editing group we’ve got this semester. Everyone is so engaged with the work and with each other’s thoughts. It’s really inspiring to spend time with such thoughtful, motivated folks!” Yellow gradient background with a star icon near the top and bottom. Bold text asks: “What is your ideal reading environment?” Below, centered quoted text reads: “Somewhere cozy and quiet. The grad student area in the library has these greatttt lounge chairs that I love.”
December 29, 2025 at 7:49 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
A piece that appraises and antagonizes the self, Kasumi Parker's "Look and See" is a must-read from our most recent Flight. Check it out at the link below!
blackbird.vcu.edu/look-and-see/
White page with a thick blue border. Title at top reads, “Look and See.” Beneath the title is the author name, “Kasumi Parker.” Below, a block of prose text reads: “Your filmmaking professor keeps asking the class, ‘What are the stakes?’ You are scared of people seeing or recognizing you. You also wish they would. Worry that your film does not have stakes for feminism or visibility outside of yourself. Is it possible that you just wanted to be on the big screen?” A horizontal line separates the text from the footer. At the bottom left, italic text reads, “Nonfiction / Blackbird v24n1.” At the bottom right is a small blackbird icon. Black-and-white portrait photograph of a Kasumi Parker outdoors. She has short, slightly wavy hair and is looking directly at the camera. Leafy plants fill the background behind her. The image is framed by a thick blue border.
December 19, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts
chillsubs.bsky.social
To round off the day, these are the lit mags that you guys voted as just A Damn Good Read!

Find out who else made the cut and submit to them here: www.chillsubs.com/lists/a-damn...

#writing #writers #writingcommunity
CHILL SUBS Annual Best Lit Mag Awards A Damn Good Read * The Pinch Publishing work that dissolves boundaries Blackbird University-affiliated gem with a lovely redesign Rattle Promoting the practice of poetry Brevity Writers working in the brief essay form Split Lip Magazine Voice-driven writing that gets you right in the kidneys
December 17, 2025 at 10:00 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
The results are in, and second place has never felt better! Our readers and contributors are the whole reason why we exist, so a toast is in order to you all and, of course, to the folks at @chillsubs.bsky.social who are so persistent in celebrating the literary community. Cheers! 👏
Graphic announcing an award from Chill Subs. At the top, laurel branches frame a banner that reads, “The Best Lit Mags of 2025.” Beneath the banner is a small illustrated black bird walking. Below the bird is the text, “Chill Subs.” Graphic from Chill Subs titled, “Chill Subs Annual Best Lit Mag Awards.” Centered text reads, “A Damn Good Read,” with laurel branches on either side. Below is a list of literary magazines and descriptions. The Pinch: Publishing work that dissolves boundaries. Blackbird: University-affiliated gem with a lovely redesign. Rattle: Promoting the practice of poetry. Brevity: Writers working in the brief essay form. Split Lip Magazine: Voice-driven writing that gets you right in the kidneys. A small illustrated black bird appears near the Blackbird entry. Text graphic that reads, “Thanks for second place…” followed by a highlighted quotation. The quote reads, “Blackbird: genuinely values building a supportive literary community — their media presence and support of previous contributors proves that.” Below the quote, the text continues, “and for this lovely comment!” Closing thank-you graphic with centered text that reads, “To Chill Subs, our contributors, our readers, and every intern and editor at Blackbird:” Below this is large, colorful text that reads, “THANK YOU!” Underneath, the text reads, “With love,” followed by the Blackbird logo.
December 17, 2025 at 8:41 PM
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Meet our dearest Bhavya! Check out Flight 24.1's poetry section to see how her hard work has come to fruition. 🪶

blackbird.vcu.edu @bhavyabhagtani.bsky.social
A pastel purple background fades into pink at the bottom. At the top, large italic text reads, “Editor Spotlight:”. Below it is a portrait of Bhavya Bhagtani, a woman with shoulder-length dark hair with light ends, wearing a black floral patterned shirt. Along the right side of the image runs a vertical illustrated vine with pastel leaves and flowers. Beneath the portrait, bold dark brown text reads “Bhavya Bhagtani,” and below that, “Lead Poetry Editor.” The Blackbird bird logo appears at the bottom. A pastel gradient background, purple at the top shifting to pink at the bottom. On the left side is a tall illustrated vine with green stems and pale peach flower shapes. Near the top center is the blackbird silhouette. Centered text reads: “My absolute favorite part of working with my interns undoubtedly is the outright revelatory and wonderful conversations the submissions we receive lead us into having, which by the end of every meeting, leave us with not just something new in terms of learning and understanding, but also help us unearth new facets of our reader and writer selves.” Another small Blackbird silhouette appears at the bottom. A pastel gradient background from purple to pink. The top center has a blackbird silhouette. Text is centered and reads: ""Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of Louise Glück, Mary Ruefle and John Berger, as well as works of Hindi writers like Premchand and Vinod Kumar Shukla—and looking for poems that transcend the reader in similar, sublime ways, wherein we start at a point that is completely different (maybe in space, maybe in time, maybe in spirituality or maybe in some other distinct manner) than the point we arrive at when the poem ends!” A blackbird silhouette appears near the bottom center. Illustrated vines identical to Image 2 appear on the right edge. A soft purple-pink gradient background. At the top is a large pink quotation-mark symbol. Centered text reads: “I tend to write almost always in the long, quiet hours past midnight; preferably in the comfort of my own room, surrounded by nothing but empty walls and warm lighting.” At the bottom are four illustrated pink daisy-like flowers with long green stems.
December 15, 2025 at 5:43 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
A stunning quote from Dennis Hinrichsen's "Dementia Lyric with Miles Davis and a Gamelan." Read the full poem at the link below! ✨

blackbird.vcu.edu/dementia-lyr...
A graphic with a teal border featuring the poem “Dementia Lyric with Miles Davis and a Gamelan” by Dennis Hinrichsen. The poem appears centered with intentional spacing. Poem text: "on cue // another of the city’s extras approaches to ask / || for spare work— // as if I have any of that around— / || his wanting // to be useful / || to someone || for something // somewhere / || (me :: this moment)” A thin horizontal line appears beneath the poem. Below it is the text “Poetry / Blackbird v24n1” and the Blackbird bird logo in the bottom right corner. A black-and-white portrait of Dennis Hinrichsen, a middle-aged man with glasses, short hair, and a trimmed beard. He is smiling slightly and wearing a denim jacket over a zip-up fleece. The background shows a parking lot and trees out of focus. The image is framed by a teal border.
December 12, 2025 at 4:48 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
The face behind our review and interview curation: Sam Schieren! Check out the "Book Reviews, Craft Essays, and Interviews" section in Flight 24.1 to see the wonderful pieces his work has yielded.

blackbird.vcu.edu
A graphic with an olive-green background titled “Meet Sam Schieren.” Below the title is a black-and-white photo of Sam Schieren standing at a microphone. He wears glasses and a patterned button-down shirt, smiling while holding a sheet of paper. Text below reads “Blackbird’s Reviews and Interviews Editor,” with a small blackbird logo at the bottom. Olive-green graphic with the question “What do you look for in a review or craft essay that makes you want to publish it?” followed by five yellow stars. Below is Sam Schieren’s quote, "For reviews, pieces that interestingly describe the spirit of an interesting book, offer an efficient dissection of how the book is composed, and include a few good comparative writers or titles. For craft essays, pieces that draw from non-literary disciplines or rely on non-obvious metaphors." A small illustration of a glowing lightbulb sits at the bottom. Olive-green graphic with the question “What writers are currently inspiring you?” and five yellow stars. Below is a quote from Sam Schieren listing writers who inspire him that states, "Olga Tokarczuk, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Paul Beatty, Sally Rooney, Ed Yong, Oliver Sacks, Denis Johnson, David Means, Katherine Dunn, Norman Rush, Roberto Bolaño, Kafka, Kafka, Kafka.” A simple illustrated portrait of Franz Kafka appears at the bottom. Olive-green graphic featuring an open-book illustration at the top. Below is Sam Schieren’s quote about his ideal reading environment: "I like to read first thing in the morning, in the breakfast nook, before my brain’s had time to think about anything else (besides grinding the coffee beans)." At the bottom are five yellow stars and a sketch of a coffee cup and saucer.
December 8, 2025 at 4:28 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
The last day to vote for Blackbird is this Sunday!!!

www.chillsubs.com/best-lit-mag...
December 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
Brenna Womer's "Only" artfully blends creative nonfiction and visual storytelling. Check out the full piece at the link below!

blackbird.vcu.edu/only/
Image from Brenna Womer's "Only." At the bottom, a black sillhouette on a white background shows two dark parental figures over a child figure contrasted in white. The text above the figures reads, "You never quite figured out how to be yourself without hurting them, how to let them be themselves without hurting you." Black and white profile shot of Brenna Womar taken in front of a solid background, likely in a photographer's studio.
December 5, 2025 at 5:59 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
Do you love Blackbird? Do you think Blackbird should be recognized as an outstanding literary journal? We agree!

Cast your vote at chillsubs.com/best-lit-mag-awards today. Voting closes on December 7th, so be sure to act now!
A peach-to-orange gradient background with the Blackbird journal’s blackbird logo at the top. Text reads, “Blackbird wants to win your vote in ChillSubs’s ‘Best Lit Mag Awards.’” Below is a black-and-white graphic of a playful creature holding a giant pencil, with the words “vote now!” arranged around it. A small caption at the bottom reads, “Graphic from https://www.chillsubs.com/best-lit-mag-awards.” A peach gradient background with bold black text reading, “Think Blackbird would be a good fit for one of the below categories?” Underneath is a grid of colorful category labels, including: Career Builder, Hidden Gem, Actually Inclusive, Beautiful Design, Bold and Weird, Great Editor(s), New Writer Friendly, I Just Love Them!, and A Damn Good Read. At the bottom, text reads, “Then cast your vote now!” with an illustration of diverse raised hands in patterned sleeves. A peach gradient background with black text reading, “To vote, head to chillsubs.com/best-lit-mag-awards.” Below is a simple icon of a hand placing a ballot into a voting box labeled “VOTE.” Additional text reads, “Voting is open until Sunday, December 7th.” The Blackbird logo and tagline, “an online journal of literature and the arts,” appear at the bottom.
December 1, 2025 at 4:17 PM
blackbirdjournal.bsky.social
(1/2) In leading our copyediting team, J.A. Holm works diligently to elevate our authors voices and make Blackbird look as good as possible. Head to blackbird.vcu.edu to see the evidence of their hard work!
Graphic introducing J.A. Holm as Blackbird’s Lead Copyeditor. The top text reads “Meet our Lead Copyeditor: J.A. Holm” with an illustration of a hand holding a clipboard. Below, a photo shows J.A. Holm crouching on a driveway beside a garden bed, smiling and petting a gray tabby cat. The Blackbird journal logo appears at the bottom. A quote graphic on a pale blue background. Large orange quotation marks sit at the top. Below, text describes how working as lead copyeditor has allowed J.A. Holm to study other writers’ styles closely and refine his editorial eye. At the bottom is an illustration of a person holding an oversized pencil and editing a document on a laptop, with books behind it. Graphic with the heading “What writers are currently inspiring you?” accompanied by small illustrations of people editing digital documents. Below is J.A. Holm’s answer listing poets such as Donika Kelly, Li-Young Lee, Ellen Bryant Voigt, and Diane Seuss, and describing how Victoria Chang’s With My Back to the World transformed his writing practice. Graphic with the question “What’s your ideal reading or writing environment?” accompanied by an illustration of a woman writing on a laptop while surrounded by plants. Below is J.A. Holm’s response describing his love for writing on the bus between Shockoe Bottom and VCU/VUU, appreciating the romantic feeling of being surrounded by strangers while doing private work.
November 24, 2025 at 9:19 PM