Melissa Fite Johnson
@mfitejohnson.bsky.social
poet and high school English teacher living with her husband and dogs in Kansas
melissafitejohnson.com
melissafitejohnson.com
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
TONIGHT in Lawrence, KS! See you there. 💖
October 15, 2025 at 7:41 PM
TONIGHT in Lawrence, KS! See you there. 💖
Really looking forward to teaching this online "humor in poetry" workshop. I chose this topic because I used to think I had to mine my life for trauma in my poetry, and I mean, I still do that, but now I am funny as I do that. There are still spots available:
Humor in Poetry with Melissa Fite Johnson | NE Poetry Society
Think poetry has to be serious all the time? Think again. In this workshop, we’ll laugh, play, and explore how humor can crack open truth, deepen emotion, and spark joy—even in the heaviest topics. Co...
www.nepoetrysociety.org
October 13, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Really looking forward to teaching this online "humor in poetry" workshop. I chose this topic because I used to think I had to mine my life for trauma in my poetry, and I mean, I still do that, but now I am funny as I do that. There are still spots available:
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
@riotinyourthroat.bsky.social press is a powerhouse! Three of their titles (including my book 🥰) on the finalist list for the Last Syllable Book Award
A real testament to the work @wordperv.bsky.social is doing
A real testament to the work @wordperv.bsky.social is doing
Congratulations to our Book Award finalists!!
October 8, 2025 at 2:38 PM
@riotinyourthroat.bsky.social press is a powerhouse! Three of their titles (including my book 🥰) on the finalist list for the Last Syllable Book Award
A real testament to the work @wordperv.bsky.social is doing
A real testament to the work @wordperv.bsky.social is doing
I'm so honored to be in this company. This means so much ❤️
Congratulations to our Book Award finalists!!
October 8, 2025 at 3:11 AM
I'm so honored to be in this company. This means so much ❤️
I'm Poetry Editor at @porcupinelit.bsky.social, and I just got to give someone their first acceptance! I think that's a first for me, so it's just a very exciting night all around
October 1, 2025 at 12:43 AM
I'm Poetry Editor at @porcupinelit.bsky.social, and I just got to give someone their first acceptance! I think that's a first for me, so it's just a very exciting night all around
Happy and honored to have three estrangement poems up at ONE ART today
September 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Happy and honored to have three estrangement poems up at ONE ART today
I'm the poetry editor of this terrific journal by and for teachers, and I'd love to read your poems.
Teachers! We need your words (now more than ever)! Send us your poems, CNF, and stories. We want your protests, your triumphs, your adoration, and your care.
porcupineliterary.submittable.com/submit
porcupineliterary.submittable.com/submit
Porcupine Literary Submission Manager
We publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry about the hard, the beautiful, the exhausting, the outrageous, the moving, the maddening, the ugly, the loving, the grieving, the anything-but-perfect teach...
porcupineliterary.submittable.com
September 23, 2025 at 7:52 PM
I'm the poetry editor of this terrific journal by and for teachers, and I'd love to read your poems.
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
We've got some awesome editors, including Leah Anderson, Jennifer Avingon, Michael Brennan, Joel Dunlap, Carrie Esposito, @mfitejohnson.bsky.social, @feed-me-poetry.bsky.social, @fklein907.bsky.social, Robin Moten, and
@mitchnobis.bsky.social !
@mitchnobis.bsky.social !
September 21, 2025 at 12:46 AM
We've got some awesome editors, including Leah Anderson, Jennifer Avingon, Michael Brennan, Joel Dunlap, Carrie Esposito, @mfitejohnson.bsky.social, @feed-me-poetry.bsky.social, @fklein907.bsky.social, Robin Moten, and
@mitchnobis.bsky.social !
@mitchnobis.bsky.social !
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
Teachers, parents, and people who know high school aged creative writers, The Weight Journal is open for submissions!
www.theweightjournal.com
www.theweightjournal.com
The Weight Journal
www.theweightjournal.com
September 21, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Teachers, parents, and people who know high school aged creative writers, The Weight Journal is open for submissions!
www.theweightjournal.com
www.theweightjournal.com
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
This piece means a lot to me. Thank you so much to @megannn-lynne.bsky.social for selecting it and to anyone who reads it. Always the best to be part of @havehashad.com ❤️
oh. damn. wow. amazing list today from Melissa Fite Johnson!
"2. Later I blacked out each reference to a boy, pages and pages gone.
3. Since this wasn’t for my mother’s benefit, it must’ve been for mine. Strike the evidence, make the memory go away."
https://www.havehashad.com/nntn0
"2. Later I blacked out each reference to a boy, pages and pages gone.
3. Since this wasn’t for my mother’s benefit, it must’ve been for mine. Strike the evidence, make the memory go away."
https://www.havehashad.com/nntn0
Footnotes to My First Diary, Sixth Grade, Lock and Key by Melissa Fite Johnson
Purposefully broken lock. Too much trouble, and who would read. I trusted my mother. Later I blacked out each reference to a boy, pages and pages gone. Since this wasn’t for my mother’s benefit, it…
www.havehashad.com
August 17, 2025 at 9:21 PM
This piece means a lot to me. Thank you so much to @megannn-lynne.bsky.social for selecting it and to anyone who reads it. Always the best to be part of @havehashad.com ❤️
So grateful to @asteralesjournal.bsky.social--for publishing a poem of mine and pairing it with beautiful visual art by @lauriemmarshall.bsky.social, for sending a handmade thank-you card with a collage depicting a line from my poem, and for making the people they publish feel special ❤️
July 27, 2025 at 3:20 PM
So grateful to @asteralesjournal.bsky.social--for publishing a poem of mine and pairing it with beautiful visual art by @lauriemmarshall.bsky.social, for sending a handmade thank-you card with a collage depicting a line from my poem, and for making the people they publish feel special ❤️
The first one of these I ever read was @toddkaneko.bsky.social's essay about Loudness' "Crazy Nights." I reread it last night and can't get over how good it is. Please, send me your favorites from over the years; I need to prep for writing my first one (over Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," duh)
So here is your 64 lottery picks with their song choices updated as they come in. Congratulations to those who got lucky in the lottery this year! Those who didn't: pitch us EXTRACURRICULARS! We start running essays in September/October.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
March Sadness 90s Edition Lottery and Draft doc with Longlist
March Sadness 90s Edition Lottery and Draft doc with Longlist If yr name is drawn, we'll send you an email (and put it on the bsky). You've got 24 hours to get back to us with your pick (we're askin...
docs.google.com
July 27, 2025 at 12:52 AM
The first one of these I ever read was @toddkaneko.bsky.social's essay about Loudness' "Crazy Nights." I reread it last night and can't get over how good it is. Please, send me your favorites from over the years; I need to prep for writing my first one (over Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," duh)
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
Get you someone who gets excited about you getting skulls even if they don’t understand skulls :)
I'm on an AWP panel proposal about "community" and I keep thinking about Melissa's husband offering to try to submit for her, & how many of you have posted about confused but supportive partners, & how you all cheer for each other, and link to pieces from the archives in bios. Y'all are the best.
I prepped for @havehashad.com’s latest call—and then found out a student’s memorial service was at the same time. So I thought, OK, gonna miss it—but my husband offered to try to submit for me. He didn’t make it, but I was so touched by his gesture and sad about my student that I was zen about it
June 13, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Get you someone who gets excited about you getting skulls even if they don’t understand skulls :)
I prepped for @havehashad.com’s latest call—and then found out a student’s memorial service was at the same time. So I thought, OK, gonna miss it—but my husband offered to try to submit for me. He didn’t make it, but I was so touched by his gesture and sad about my student that I was zen about it
June 11, 2025 at 7:22 PM
I prepped for @havehashad.com’s latest call—and then found out a student’s memorial service was at the same time. So I thought, OK, gonna miss it—but my husband offered to try to submit for me. He didn’t make it, but I was so touched by his gesture and sad about my student that I was zen about it
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
Submissions are OPEN
June 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Submissions are OPEN
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
Hey writers, we're closing in a couple days on May 31. We're approaching 2K submissions and competition will be stiff again for TBQ8. Throw something in the pile, you know heartbreak is fun! We'll be getting back to you in the next few weeks/months! We pay in infamy and $150 cash!
May 29, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Hey writers, we're closing in a couple days on May 31. We're approaching 2K submissions and competition will be stiff again for TBQ8. Throw something in the pile, you know heartbreak is fun! We'll be getting back to you in the next few weeks/months! We pay in infamy and $150 cash!
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
it is so endearing when someone’s so worried they’re doing a poetry prompt/assignment “wrong.” like, most likely you are doing something way more interesting
May 27, 2025 at 1:26 AM
it is so endearing when someone’s so worried they’re doing a poetry prompt/assignment “wrong.” like, most likely you are doing something way more interesting
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
Three new poems by RIYT poet @mfitejohnson.bsky.social up at @villaineralit.bsky.social!!
villaineralit.com/2025/05/23/t...
villaineralit.com/2025/05/23/t...
Three Poems by Melissa Fite Johnson
My Mother Says If She’s Such a Monster, Explain The blank nothing I asked fo…
villaineralit.com
May 23, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Three new poems by RIYT poet @mfitejohnson.bsky.social up at @villaineralit.bsky.social!!
villaineralit.com/2025/05/23/t...
villaineralit.com/2025/05/23/t...
The Val Kilmer poem I wrote a few years ago:
I Was Not Prepared for This Val Kilmer Documentary by Melissa Fite Johnson
I’m remembering more than watching
a man, golden in videos and photographs.
It can seem he only ever existed that way.
Time blinks and now he speaks
pressing a finger to a hole in his throat.
I...
www.havehashad.com
April 3, 2025 at 1:53 AM
The Val Kilmer poem I wrote a few years ago:
HAD call time!
Have you read Brian Evenson's Reports? Graham Irvin's Christmas Eve entry in A Year in Philly? Megan Boyle's Liveblog? Send reports from the field, logs, diaries, notes that are more than notes. Or send me whatever.
havehashad.submittable.com/submit/32459...
havehashad.submittable.com/submit/32459...
March 31, 2025 at 9:03 PM
HAD call time!
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
The Riot in Your Throat poets are headed to AWP! Find them at the press table signing books, leading a panel, or at an off-site reading!! We can't wait to see you!! 🤩🤩
@mfitejohnson.bsky.social @hilary299.bsky.social @fklein907.bsky.social @wordperv.bsky.social
@mfitejohnson.bsky.social @hilary299.bsky.social @fklein907.bsky.social @wordperv.bsky.social
March 26, 2025 at 9:23 AM
The Riot in Your Throat poets are headed to AWP! Find them at the press table signing books, leading a panel, or at an off-site reading!! We can't wait to see you!! 🤩🤩
@mfitejohnson.bsky.social @hilary299.bsky.social @fklein907.bsky.social @wordperv.bsky.social
@mfitejohnson.bsky.social @hilary299.bsky.social @fklein907.bsky.social @wordperv.bsky.social
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
Two RIYT poets ( @wordperv.bsky.social & @mfitejohnson.bsky.social), one amazing poem, published by @whaleroadreview.bsky.social!
March 18, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Two RIYT poets ( @wordperv.bsky.social & @mfitejohnson.bsky.social), one amazing poem, published by @whaleroadreview.bsky.social!
HAD calls are literally the reason I joined blue sky; first one for 2025 happening soon!
This link will be live in just a little over 2 hours. (And, given past calls, will probably be dead a few minutes after that.)
If link doesn't work... you're too early or too late!
havehashad.submittable.com/submit/32081...
If link doesn't work... you're too early or too late!
havehashad.submittable.com/submit/32081...
First HAD call for 2025 incoming!
Certified lover boy @jordanhamel.bsky.social is taking over the reins tomorrow (2/13, 1pm est) for a special Valentine's Day Eve submission call. He's looking for messages in a bottle, DM slides, sad songs for dirty lovers, and more.
Details in image/alt text.
Certified lover boy @jordanhamel.bsky.social is taking over the reins tomorrow (2/13, 1pm est) for a special Valentine's Day Eve submission call. He's looking for messages in a bottle, DM slides, sad songs for dirty lovers, and more.
Details in image/alt text.
February 13, 2025 at 4:16 PM
HAD calls are literally the reason I joined blue sky; first one for 2025 happening soon!
Reposted by Melissa Fite Johnson
One! More! Week!
Responses will be sent by the end of April, so don’t wait— the next reading period won’t open until July!
January 26, 2025 at 4:45 AM
One! More! Week!