Bluestem
@bluestemmag.bsky.social
Bluestem is a national literary magazine, published continuously since 1966.
www.bluestemmagazine.com
www.bluestemmagazine.com
We've had an uptick of traffic to our site of late. Welcome one and all! We're making final decisions for our Winter 2026 issue and it will be our gift to you to start the New Year off right. (And we'll be open again in January for free submissions!)
December 5, 2025 at 4:35 PM
We've had an uptick of traffic to our site of late. Welcome one and all! We're making final decisions for our Winter 2026 issue and it will be our gift to you to start the New Year off right. (And we'll be open again in January for free submissions!)
Congratulations to Alice Bolin, whose essay collection CULTURE CREEP made NPR's Books We Love 2025 list! Come see Bolin at EIU's annual LIons in Winter festival this coming January!
www.npr.org/2025/11/24/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/24/n...
NPR's 2025 Books We Love is here. It's not your average year-end list
On Monday, NPR launched its end-of-the-year books guide. But Books We Love isn't a "top 10" list. Instead, it's more that 380 books that were personally recommended by members of the NPR staff.
www.npr.org
November 25, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Congratulations to Alice Bolin, whose essay collection CULTURE CREEP made NPR's Books We Love 2025 list! Come see Bolin at EIU's annual LIons in Winter festival this coming January!
www.npr.org/2025/11/24/n...
www.npr.org/2025/11/24/n...
Is that Aram Mrjoian we spy on this list? The very same who will be visiting us in central Illinois this January as part of our annual Lions in Winter literary festival?
Seriously, read his novel Waterline; it's a triumph.
Seriously, read his novel Waterline; it's a triumph.
The long list has landed.
Get ready for the 2026 Tournament of Books, presented by @fieldnotesbrand.bsky.social, with the 70 most Rooster-worthy novels of the year! www.tournamentofbooks.com/the-year-in-...
Get ready for the 2026 Tournament of Books, presented by @fieldnotesbrand.bsky.social, with the 70 most Rooster-worthy novels of the year! www.tournamentofbooks.com/the-year-in-...
The 2026 Long List — The Tournament of Books
Literary bloodsport approaches! As we narrow down our shortlist of Tournament competitors, here are the 70 works of fiction in consideration from this year.
www.tournamentofbooks.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Is that Aram Mrjoian we spy on this list? The very same who will be visiting us in central Illinois this January as part of our annual Lions in Winter literary festival?
Seriously, read his novel Waterline; it's a triumph.
Seriously, read his novel Waterline; it's a triumph.
We absolutely love seeing Bluestem contributors doing amazing things in their careers and lives. Never hestitate to get in touch and let us know about a publication, an award or an accolade!
bluestemmag@gmail.com
bluestemmag@gmail.com
November 2, 2025 at 12:13 AM
We absolutely love seeing Bluestem contributors doing amazing things in their careers and lives. Never hestitate to get in touch and let us know about a publication, an award or an accolade!
bluestemmag@gmail.com
bluestemmag@gmail.com
If you're in central Illinois on Wednesday evening, come over to EIU's Booth Library where we will be featuring the prolific Ben Tanzer and EIU students Athena Ballard and Pamela Zimmerman!
October 20, 2025 at 2:17 PM
If you're in central Illinois on Wednesday evening, come over to EIU's Booth Library where we will be featuring the prolific Ben Tanzer and EIU students Athena Ballard and Pamela Zimmerman!
Reposted by Bluestem
Congratulations to all the nominees! Good luck everyone! Many thanks to the editors!❤️❤️❤️
Congratulations to our Best of the Net nominees! Thank you to our nominees, and to all our contributors, for their minds and words.
October 4, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Congratulations to all the nominees! Good luck everyone! Many thanks to the editors!❤️❤️❤️
Congratulations to our Best of the Net nominees! Thank you to our nominees, and to all our contributors, for their minds and words.
October 1, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Congratulations to our Best of the Net nominees! Thank you to our nominees, and to all our contributors, for their minds and words.
We don't know about you, but one of the things that reliably still brings us joy these days is a damn good reading. We are so excited to bring Jennifer Martiza McCauley to EIU this week! If you're around, we'll give you cookies and coffees and little sandwiches and, best of all, lovely words.
September 8, 2025 at 8:17 PM
We don't know about you, but one of the things that reliably still brings us joy these days is a damn good reading. We are so excited to bring Jennifer Martiza McCauley to EIU this week! If you're around, we'll give you cookies and coffees and little sandwiches and, best of all, lovely words.
Reposted by Bluestem
Check out "After Winter," a stunning poem by Katherine Gaffney in the Summer 2025 issue of @bluestemmag.bsky.social:
#poetry #writing
shorturl.at/xEL70
#poetry #writing
shorturl.at/xEL70
After winter, — Bluestem Magazine
shorturl.at
August 27, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Check out "After Winter," a stunning poem by Katherine Gaffney in the Summer 2025 issue of @bluestemmag.bsky.social:
#poetry #writing
shorturl.at/xEL70
#poetry #writing
shorturl.at/xEL70
Reposted by Bluestem
Not a surprise that they canceled creative fellowships, but the NEA’s new priorities are…odd?
August 22, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Not a surprise that they canceled creative fellowships, but the NEA’s new priorities are…odd?
Reposted by Bluestem
Hi poetry reviewers, writers, readers: here’s a document I made of paying reviews markets. Holler at me if you see something that needs to be updated/deleted/added! 🙏 I would appreciate it. Would love this to be a community resource for freelance writers to be paid for their criticism.
Poetry Review Submissions: Paying Markets
docs.google.com
August 19, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Hi poetry reviewers, writers, readers: here’s a document I made of paying reviews markets. Holler at me if you see something that needs to be updated/deleted/added! 🙏 I would appreciate it. Would love this to be a community resource for freelance writers to be paid for their criticism.
You have until August 15 to submit to Bluestem! Fee free in all genres:
-poetry!
-fiction!
-cnf!
-comics!
-poetry!
-fiction!
-cnf!
-comics!
August 13, 2025 at 4:29 PM
You have until August 15 to submit to Bluestem! Fee free in all genres:
-poetry!
-fiction!
-cnf!
-comics!
-poetry!
-fiction!
-cnf!
-comics!
Congratulations to Rose McLarney for being named a Best of the Net finalist for her essay, "Negative," which appeared in Bluestem!
bluestemmagazine.com/fs2023/rose-...
bluestemmagazine.com/fs2023/rose-...
August 6, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Congratulations to Rose McLarney for being named a Best of the Net finalist for her essay, "Negative," which appeared in Bluestem!
bluestemmagazine.com/fs2023/rose-...
bluestemmagazine.com/fs2023/rose-...
Our central Illinois neighbors! Great things happening here...
PLEASE REPOST! WRITERS! Uncanny Magazine will be open to Short Story Submissions from August 25 to September 8! Uncanny Magazine will be open to Poetry Submissions from August 9 to August 26. WE WANT TO SEE YOUR SHINY WORDS! buff.ly/9AyStcb
August 4, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Our central Illinois neighbors! Great things happening here...
Reposted by Bluestem
In our latest Personal Narrative, author Colleen Abel questions whether being a writer actually helps her at all in making sense of a murder.
buff.ly/xTdL4YQ
buff.ly/xTdL4YQ
I Thought Being a Writer Would Help Me Make Sense of a Murder. I Was Wrong. - Electric Literature
“All Evidence of Animal Behavior” by Colleen Abel
electricliterature.com
July 31, 2025 at 4:27 PM
In our latest Personal Narrative, author Colleen Abel questions whether being a writer actually helps her at all in making sense of a murder.
buff.ly/xTdL4YQ
buff.ly/xTdL4YQ
Our EIC, Colleen Abel, has an essay in @electricliterature.com today:
electricliterature.com/i-thought-be...
electricliterature.com/i-thought-be...
I Thought Being a Writer Would Help Me Make Sense of a Murder. I Was Wrong. - Electric Literature
“All Evidence of Animal Behavior” by Colleen Abel
electricliterature.com
July 31, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Our EIC, Colleen Abel, has an essay in @electricliterature.com today:
electricliterature.com/i-thought-be...
electricliterature.com/i-thought-be...
Reposted by Bluestem
BY THE WAY isn't now a pretty good time for lesbian werewolves? an excerpt of my novel, Sugar Moon, has been published in @bluestemmag.bsky.social ! With many thanks to Fiction editor @magicmikewrites.bsky.social:
bluestemmagazine.com/s25/sarah-su...
bluestemmagazine.com/s25/sarah-su...
Sugar Moon — Bluestem Magazine
bluestemmagazine.com
July 25, 2025 at 9:41 PM
BY THE WAY isn't now a pretty good time for lesbian werewolves? an excerpt of my novel, Sugar Moon, has been published in @bluestemmag.bsky.social ! With many thanks to Fiction editor @magicmikewrites.bsky.social:
bluestemmagazine.com/s25/sarah-su...
bluestemmagazine.com/s25/sarah-su...
Reposted by Bluestem
My piece "Suburbs" is in Bluestem's summer issue <3
Our summer 2025 issue is here!
Work by E.P. Tuazon, Mark Brazaitis, Joey Damiano, Chelsea Utecht, Erin Slaughter, Katherine Gaffney, Anna Zgambo, Jennifer A Sutherland, Carolyn Oliver, Nico Santana, Eddy Alvarez, Mary Senter, and Danielle Shorr. Art by Suzanne Zimmerman.
bluestemmagazine.com
Work by E.P. Tuazon, Mark Brazaitis, Joey Damiano, Chelsea Utecht, Erin Slaughter, Katherine Gaffney, Anna Zgambo, Jennifer A Sutherland, Carolyn Oliver, Nico Santana, Eddy Alvarez, Mary Senter, and Danielle Shorr. Art by Suzanne Zimmerman.
bluestemmagazine.com
July 25, 2025 at 10:35 PM
My piece "Suburbs" is in Bluestem's summer issue <3
Our summer 2025 issue is here!
Work by E.P. Tuazon, Mark Brazaitis, Joey Damiano, Chelsea Utecht, Erin Slaughter, Katherine Gaffney, Anna Zgambo, Jennifer A Sutherland, Carolyn Oliver, Nico Santana, Eddy Alvarez, Mary Senter, and Danielle Shorr. Art by Suzanne Zimmerman.
bluestemmagazine.com
Work by E.P. Tuazon, Mark Brazaitis, Joey Damiano, Chelsea Utecht, Erin Slaughter, Katherine Gaffney, Anna Zgambo, Jennifer A Sutherland, Carolyn Oliver, Nico Santana, Eddy Alvarez, Mary Senter, and Danielle Shorr. Art by Suzanne Zimmerman.
bluestemmagazine.com
July 23, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Our summer 2025 issue is here!
Work by E.P. Tuazon, Mark Brazaitis, Joey Damiano, Chelsea Utecht, Erin Slaughter, Katherine Gaffney, Anna Zgambo, Jennifer A Sutherland, Carolyn Oliver, Nico Santana, Eddy Alvarez, Mary Senter, and Danielle Shorr. Art by Suzanne Zimmerman.
bluestemmagazine.com
Work by E.P. Tuazon, Mark Brazaitis, Joey Damiano, Chelsea Utecht, Erin Slaughter, Katherine Gaffney, Anna Zgambo, Jennifer A Sutherland, Carolyn Oliver, Nico Santana, Eddy Alvarez, Mary Senter, and Danielle Shorr. Art by Suzanne Zimmerman.
bluestemmagazine.com
We've been working so hard on so many different things: new issue is days away from dropping, we've been blogging, we've been making website / archive changes. We can't wait to share it all.
But today's news is this: WE ARE OPEN! FREE SUBS! Poetry, cnf, fiction, comics now through 8/15. Let's goooo
But today's news is this: WE ARE OPEN! FREE SUBS! Poetry, cnf, fiction, comics now through 8/15. Let's goooo
July 1, 2025 at 11:15 PM
We've been working so hard on so many different things: new issue is days away from dropping, we've been blogging, we've been making website / archive changes. We can't wait to share it all.
But today's news is this: WE ARE OPEN! FREE SUBS! Poetry, cnf, fiction, comics now through 8/15. Let's goooo
But today's news is this: WE ARE OPEN! FREE SUBS! Poetry, cnf, fiction, comics now through 8/15. Let's goooo
Reposted by Bluestem
"The streets open up closer to sea—which is a dime
to enter and bathe—noisy of gulls—children–sweets gobbled up
in the ocean’s insistent i am god i am god i am god i am"
"Leaving the Wedding in a Fever" by @casswhit.bsky.social, new poetry out today at OKD:
to enter and bathe—noisy of gulls—children–sweets gobbled up
in the ocean’s insistent i am god i am god i am god i am"
"Leaving the Wedding in a Fever" by @casswhit.bsky.social, new poetry out today at OKD:
Leaving the Wedding in a Fever by Cassandra Whitaker
Streets cobbled together from where? Rooftops leaning from where earth grew its longing toward sea winding –drunk—all the way up the mountain’s snake The streets open up closer to sea—which is a di…
okaydonkeymag.com
June 6, 2025 at 3:18 PM
"The streets open up closer to sea—which is a dime
to enter and bathe—noisy of gulls—children–sweets gobbled up
in the ocean’s insistent i am god i am god i am god i am"
"Leaving the Wedding in a Fever" by @casswhit.bsky.social, new poetry out today at OKD:
to enter and bathe—noisy of gulls—children–sweets gobbled up
in the ocean’s insistent i am god i am god i am god i am"
"Leaving the Wedding in a Fever" by @casswhit.bsky.social, new poetry out today at OKD:
Reposted by Bluestem
Went to the Oceanogràfic València and was reminded of my story “The Zoo,” published by the wonderful & enthusiastic & beautiful @magicmikewrites.bsky.social @bluestemmag.bsky.social
“I was sure we’d seen jellyfish together before, but maybe not.”
bluestemmagazine.com/w25/aaron-bu...
“I was sure we’d seen jellyfish together before, but maybe not.”
bluestemmagazine.com/w25/aaron-bu...
May 14, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Went to the Oceanogràfic València and was reminded of my story “The Zoo,” published by the wonderful & enthusiastic & beautiful @magicmikewrites.bsky.social @bluestemmag.bsky.social
“I was sure we’d seen jellyfish together before, but maybe not.”
bluestemmagazine.com/w25/aaron-bu...
“I was sure we’d seen jellyfish together before, but maybe not.”
bluestemmagazine.com/w25/aaron-bu...
Reposted by Bluestem
less
more slowly
with others
for one another
without glamor
again and again
more slowly
with others
for one another
without glamor
again and again
May 3, 2025 at 4:44 PM
less
more slowly
with others
for one another
without glamor
again and again
more slowly
with others
for one another
without glamor
again and again
New blog feature: book reviews! Here's Bluestem intern Elijah Kubicek—himself a stellar fiction writer—on Han Kang's THE WHITE BOOK.
bluestemmagazine.com/blog/books-t...
bluestemmagazine.com/blog/books-t...
April 8, 2025 at 4:05 PM
New blog feature: book reviews! Here's Bluestem intern Elijah Kubicek—himself a stellar fiction writer—on Han Kang's THE WHITE BOOK.
bluestemmagazine.com/blog/books-t...
bluestemmagazine.com/blog/books-t...
Reposted by Bluestem
Here is a great litmag fundraiser that comes with awesome swag—adore @nataliesolmer.bsky.social and The Indianapolis Review. Support them here: www.bonfire.com/the-indianap...
April 5, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Here is a great litmag fundraiser that comes with awesome swag—adore @nataliesolmer.bsky.social and The Indianapolis Review. Support them here: www.bonfire.com/the-indianap...