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eleanorball.bsky.social
Eleanor Ball
@eleanorball.bsky.social
590 followers 230 following 430 posts
librarian by day, writer by night | lit editor @ fifth wheel press | literary/speculative poetry, fiction, & CNF @ https://eleanor-ball.com/ (all views my own)
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Reposted by Eleanor Ball
havenspec.bsky.social
👀February 2026 Poetry👀

"If I must exist here," is a poem by @eleanorball.bsky.social about hope and apocalypse. Read it as an act of survival in a wounded world.

Available in our February issue, due to subscribers on Monday!
havenspec.com/issues/issue...
An excerpt of the poem "If I must exist here," by Eleanor Ball, in Issue 22 of Haven Spec Magazine (February 2026). The text reads: then with open arms. Bitten nails. Tongue bloody from eating itself like a snake. From pressing my mouth to yours. Oracle, puzzle, three-body problem. Then in prayer, licking the wounds of the earth. Then sunflowers, springing [...] The background is the issue's cover art, titled Harmonies of the Harvest, by Matthew Spencer. It shows a figure with a human body and a deer head.
February 11, 2026 at 7:50 PM
eleanorball.bsky.social
I have a little poem in here about finding love and community and hope in the apocalypse 🖤
havenspec.bsky.social Haven Spec Magazine @havenspec.bsky.social · 4d
Our ✨February 2026 issue✨ is ready!

Subscribers will get it February 16th (maybe sooner!), and everyone else can read it February 23rd!

Five brand new stories and five brand new poems to delight and amaze!
Haven Spec Magazine, Issue Twenty-Two, February 2026. Cover and table of contents. The issue will be available to subscribers on February 16th, and its contents are as follows: Cover Art by Matthew Spencer. Fiction: Fragments of Sky in Quantum Grief by Lex Chamberlin. She Will Help You The Only Way She Knows How by Janel Comeau. Skin Deep by Cressida Roe. Tring-a-Ling by Dafydd McKimm. We Are The Giants We Fear by Lee Zanello. Poetry: If I must exist here, by Eleanor Ball. Fairest One by Sophia Zhao. Persephone Wins Custody of Herself by Marisca Pichette. Roommate by Arthur H. Manners. Mothercraft (a villanelle) by Erin Brown. Nonfiction: Letter from the Editor, Ya Herd? by Leon Perniciaro. Poetry for the End of the World by Jessica Peter. Little Fiction Reviews by the Editors of Haven Spec Magazine.
February 9, 2026 at 7:55 PM
eleanorball.bsky.social
time to start vagueposting about TWO new projects …. exciting things happening in march!!

(hint: not a new lit mag or a book launch …. a secret third thing 👀)
eleanorball.bsky.social Eleanor Ball @eleanorball.bsky.social · 8d
time to start vagueposting about a new project
February 8, 2026 at 4:34 PM
eleanorball.bsky.social
time to start vagueposting about a new project
February 5, 2026 at 4:32 PM
eleanorball.bsky.social
today!! happening now!! get em in!! (reprints welcome!!)
fifthwheelpress.bsky.social fifth wheel press @fifthwheelpress.bsky.social · 21d
hello! we're running a fast response window for the blog on 1/30 (12am EST to 11:59pm EST). submit during that window to receive a response by 2/1!

(we're also aiming to have all existing subs replied to by this date!)
fwp blog fast response window. submit on Friday 1/30 for a response by Sunday 2/1. existing subs will also receive a reply by this date. does not apply to GARLAND subs.
January 30, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
martin65.bsky.social
"The freedom of floating,
cradled by the sea, until I beached on the sands of Babylon.
In my palms, the kisses of birds."
January 28, 2026 at 9:58 PM
eleanorball.bsky.social
book mail!! 😍 @reckoningmag.bsky.social
January 27, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
fifthwheelpress.bsky.social
hello! we're running a fast response window for the blog on 1/30 (12am EST to 11:59pm EST). submit during that window to receive a response by 2/1!

(we're also aiming to have all existing subs replied to by this date!)
fwp blog fast response window. submit on Friday 1/30 for a response by Sunday 2/1. existing subs will also receive a reply by this date. does not apply to GARLAND subs.
January 24, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
ala-acrl.bsky.social
New on ACRLog... Let’s Discuss: How Should We Handle AI in One-Shots?

"I worry that students, never the most enthusiastic one-shot attendees, now feel that library research skills are less relevant than ever." - Eleanor Ball

bit.ly/45qkREp
January 23, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
stonecirclereview.bsky.social
Stone Circle #ThrowbackThursday poem : "The Confession" by Eleanor Ball (@eleanorball.bsky.social) #tbt

stonecirclereview.com/the-confessi...
The Confession
by Eleanor Ball   I roll my hope down the Mount. Robe my heart in pleasure. I sink to my knees, swallow the blessing like honeyed wine. Unthread my body. The eye of the needle is near. I show my brot...
stonecirclereview.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
dzorich.bsky.social
No surprise to librarians, but perhaps surprising to users, demands/prices for ebooks /audiobooks are killing public library budgets. David Szalay's book, Flesh,” costs DCPL:
$28.99 hardcopy
$59.99 ebook
$69.99 audiobook
DCPL owns hardcopy; rents & must repurchase ebook & audio book every 2 yrs.
Libraries can't afford e-books. D.C. lawmakers have a plan.
The demand and price for e-books is up — and it’s busting the D.C. Public Library budget.
51st.news
January 17, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
arleysorg.bsky.social
Reading for awards? I encourage you to browse through the stories & poetry in the three issues of Fantasy Magazine we published in 2025. Hugos, Nebulas, Locus, SFPAs, and others: these works are all eligible! I know the authors would love it if you give them a glance.

psychopomp.com/fantasy/
Fantasy Homepage - PSYCHOPOMP.COM
FANTASY MAGAZINE is a digital magazine focusing exclusively on the fantasy genre. In its pages, you will find all types of fantasy-dark fantasy, contemporary
psychopomp.com
January 16, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
monarch.gay
We are elated to announce the awardees and finalists for MONARCH 2026. Thank you to all of the organizations who nominated work for making our first anthology so stunning 🦋 and a special shoutout to @esichr.bsky.social and @bleatingthing.bsky.social for the beautiful cover photograph!
The cover of Monarch 2026. A photo of a person lying on their back in a field of tall grass with their left arm covering their face. Text reads Monarch 2026, a queer literary awards anthology published by fifth wheel press. Awardees. Michael Agunbiade, Maddox Emory Arnold, J. L. Bermúdez, C. Ray Borck, Finnian Burnett, Connor, a.d., Gion Davis, Erin Dorney, Dante Fuoco, Ranudi Gunawardena, Katy Haas, Annalisa Hansford, K.M. Hanslik, KT Herr, Jennessa Hester, Esmé Kaplan-Kinsey, Jules Kennedy, Ani King, Kyrico, Tara Labovich, Olivia Lehman, Jackson D. Moorman, Chi Pham, William Roberds-King, Cristina Sanchez, Steven Sanchez, January Santoso, Elena Sichrovsky, Mark Spero, Ashley Steineger, Liam Strong, Gordon Taylor, Holly Lyn Walrath, Cela Xié. Finalists. Hayden Berry, Alex Bortell, Isabella Boyd, Jordan Byrum, J. J. Carey, James Diaz, Emily Franklin, Isaiah Gardner, Michael Getty, Finnley Greet, Kimberly Hall, Calvin Jones, E.G.N. Lafleur, Angel Leal, Parker Logan, Abby E. Murray, Karol Olesiak, Bleah Patterson, Rowan Procter, Eli V. Rahm, Luke Rudman, Mk Smith Despres, Meghan Sterling, Liam Strong, Wendy Vardaman, Alicia Wright, Steven C Wright.
January 17, 2026 at 3:28 AM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
tacobellquarterly.org
Fiction dead? No one reads anymore? The obituaries they write are their own, not yours! Live más!
January 16, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
magicmooshka.bsky.social
it’s come to my attention that my tumblr post has been crossposted to bluesky, so I’m posting it on my account here #AntiAI #GenAI
recently my friend's comics professor told her that it's acceptable to use gen AI for script-writing but not for art, since a machine can't generate meaningful artistic work. meanwhile, my sister's screenwriting professor said that they can use gen AI for concept art and visualization, but that it won't be able to generate a script that's any good. and at my job, it seems like each department says that AI can be useful in every field except the one that they know best. It's only ever the jobs we're unfamiliar with that we assume can be replaced with automation. The more attuned we are with certain processes, crafts, and occupations, the more we realize that gen AI will never be able to provide a suitable replacement. The case for its existence relies on our ignorance of the work and skill required to do everything we don't.
January 9, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
eleanorball.bsky.social
attn queer ppl in my phone!! do you have any stories or poems previously pubbed in now-defunct magazines that you’re looking to rehome? fifth wheel press is open for blog submissions and we are always open to reprints 💕

duotrope.com/duosuma/subm...
fifth wheel press blog: unthemed blog submissions | Duosuma by Duotrope
duotrope.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:53 PM
eleanorball.bsky.social
attn queer ppl in my phone!! do you have any stories or poems previously pubbed in now-defunct magazines that you’re looking to rehome? fifth wheel press is open for blog submissions and we are always open to reprints 💕

duotrope.com/duosuma/subm...
fifth wheel press blog: unthemed blog submissions | Duosuma by Duotrope
duotrope.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
psychopomp.com
we are so proud of all we did in 2025!

and our intrepid @ecatherine.com gathered it all for you to see 👀

give this post a look!!

find something amazing to read

and consider us when you fill out those nomination forms this year 🙏🖤

psychopomp.com/2025-for-you...
2025 - For Your Consideration: Psychopomp Award Eligibility - PSYCHOPOMP.COM
2025 was a year of big changes around here, and we can't imagine where 2026 will take us. Before we do, let's look back at what we did in 2025. We did some
psychopomp.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:18 PM
eleanorball.bsky.social
attn all queer people in my phone!! fifth wheel press is now open for ekphrasis-themed lit mag subs AND unthemed blog subs! i’m super excited to work on the blog this year and read your fantastic work 💫

duotrope.com/duosuma/subm...
January 2, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
mariness.bsky.social
Despite the title, this is another VERY appropriate poem to round out the year, with its images of dancing and wishing on stars.
January 1, 2026 at 1:55 AM
eleanorball.bsky.social
Jumping in to @swantower.bsky.social's #12DaysofPoetry! Especially because I am SO bad at sharing my OWN WORK on here.

First up, "It was always like this" in @publishedbyjake.bsky.social, a wintry poem about old relationships dying hard.

jakethemag.com/it-was-alway...
It was always like this:
on the lonely walk \ up the parking garage.
jakethemag.com
December 26, 2025 at 1:58 AM
eleanorball.bsky.social
Thrilled to share that my review of Larks by @hanvanderhart.bsky.social won the 2025 Door is a Jar Award for book reviews! You can read the full review for free here: www.doorisajarmagazine.net/diaj-awards
December 22, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
fantasymagazine.bsky.social
Looking for some fantastic poetry?🦄

Come thru... for poems by:

Mu’izz Ọpẹ́yẹmí Àjàyí
Aishat Yahkub
(Issue 97)

Eleanor Ball
Mateo Perez Lara
(Issue 98)

Nwuguru Chidiebere Sullivan
Alex Jennings
(Issue 99)

psychopomp.com/fantasy/
Fantasy Homepage - PSYCHOPOMP.COM
FANTASY MAGAZINE is a digital magazine focusing exclusively on the fantasy genre. In its pages, you will find all types of fantasy-dark fantasy, contemporary
psychopomp.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Reposted by Eleanor Ball
eleanorball.bsky.social
I have two gothic, fantastical poems eligible for the “Best Short Poem” Rhysling this year: “All of Our Mothers Are Dead” (Fantasy Magazine) and “Holy Days” (Strange Horizons). I would deeply appreciate anyone who reads them and nominates! ❤️ Links below.
December 14, 2025 at 2:42 PM