Narrative
@narrativemag.bsky.social
Non-profit publisher of fiction, poetry, essays & art. Since 2003, where readers, writers, teachers & students meet. Our free library is always open.
narrativemagazine.com
narrativemagazine.com
Cartoon by Suzy Becker
January 16, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Cartoon by Suzy Becker
“What was perhaps most terrifying about losing her god was that, without the promise of a never-ending paradise, the imperfect and the limited were all she had.”
—R. O. Kwon, “Superhero”
@rokwon.bsky.social
—R. O. Kwon, “Superhero”
@rokwon.bsky.social
January 16, 2026 at 6:54 PM
“What was perhaps most terrifying about losing her god was that, without the promise of a never-ending paradise, the imperfect and the limited were all she had.”
—R. O. Kwon, “Superhero”
@rokwon.bsky.social
—R. O. Kwon, “Superhero”
@rokwon.bsky.social
“The dry-stone wall jutted out at angles, and she thought of a frightened child borne off into the wilder forest, a dark seam soldering the earth to the sky.” —excerpt from “Wives” by Kate Cayley
January 15, 2026 at 5:02 PM
“The dry-stone wall jutted out at angles, and she thought of a frightened child borne off into the wilder forest, a dark seam soldering the earth to the sky.” —excerpt from “Wives” by Kate Cayley
“I hold on to the shape of a star
the way my aunts hold on to Jesus’s gown,
his whiteness they have never trusted on anyone else.”
—Tyree Daye, “The Shape of God”
the way my aunts hold on to Jesus’s gown,
his whiteness they have never trusted on anyone else.”
—Tyree Daye, “The Shape of God”
January 14, 2026 at 11:47 PM
“I hold on to the shape of a star
the way my aunts hold on to Jesus’s gown,
his whiteness they have never trusted on anyone else.”
—Tyree Daye, “The Shape of God”
the way my aunts hold on to Jesus’s gown,
his whiteness they have never trusted on anyone else.”
—Tyree Daye, “The Shape of God”
“His pitiable forlornness filled her with an unshakeable sense of worthlessness. No failure! No worthlessness! Not today. Today was different.” —excerpt from “Surrender” by Jennifer Christman
January 14, 2026 at 9:04 PM
“His pitiable forlornness filled her with an unshakeable sense of worthlessness. No failure! No worthlessness! Not today. Today was different.” —excerpt from “Surrender” by Jennifer Christman
Join @caroledgarian.bsky.social as she explores this word popularized by Michelangelo!
bit.ly/3t85Mqp
bit.ly/3t85Mqp
January 14, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Join @caroledgarian.bsky.social as she explores this word popularized by Michelangelo!
bit.ly/3t85Mqp
bit.ly/3t85Mqp
Our Annual High School Writing Contest is open until February 4!
What are you going to write?
What are you going to write?
Eleventh Annual Narrative High School Contest | Narrative Magazine
2025–2026 NARRATIVE HIGH SCHOOL WRITING CONTEST GUIDELINES
www.narrativemagazine.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Our Annual High School Writing Contest is open until February 4!
What are you going to write?
What are you going to write?
“Loving you is every bit as fine
as coming over a hill into the sun
at ninety miles an hour, darling”
—Denis Johnson, “Poem”
as coming over a hill into the sun
at ninety miles an hour, darling”
—Denis Johnson, “Poem”
January 12, 2026 at 11:07 PM
“Loving you is every bit as fine
as coming over a hill into the sun
at ninety miles an hour, darling”
—Denis Johnson, “Poem”
as coming over a hill into the sun
at ninety miles an hour, darling”
—Denis Johnson, “Poem”
“How the music
of the daughter born guilty harmonized
with the music of the angry father
snoring.” —excerpt from “Mooncakes” by Helen Gu
of the daughter born guilty harmonized
with the music of the angry father
snoring.” —excerpt from “Mooncakes” by Helen Gu
January 12, 2026 at 9:38 PM
“How the music
of the daughter born guilty harmonized
with the music of the angry father
snoring.” —excerpt from “Mooncakes” by Helen Gu
of the daughter born guilty harmonized
with the music of the angry father
snoring.” —excerpt from “Mooncakes” by Helen Gu
The High School Writing Contest opens TOMORROW!
We can barely contain our excitement, so we’re watching last year’s winner, Helen Gu, read her winning poem “Mooncakes” at our recent Narrative Salon: www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-...
Details: www.narrativemagazine.com/narrative-fo...
We can barely contain our excitement, so we’re watching last year’s winner, Helen Gu, read her winning poem “Mooncakes” at our recent Narrative Salon: www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-...
Details: www.narrativemagazine.com/narrative-fo...
January 5, 2026 at 5:03 PM
The High School Writing Contest opens TOMORROW!
We can barely contain our excitement, so we’re watching last year’s winner, Helen Gu, read her winning poem “Mooncakes” at our recent Narrative Salon: www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-...
Details: www.narrativemagazine.com/narrative-fo...
We can barely contain our excitement, so we’re watching last year’s winner, Helen Gu, read her winning poem “Mooncakes” at our recent Narrative Salon: www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-...
Details: www.narrativemagazine.com/narrative-fo...
“When I was born I saw
death devour the birth
of something, perhaps
the first thing so deep
now it’s hard to say,
fruit perhaps, peaches
on my mother’s table.” —excerpt from “Saving Just the Real” by Clarence Major
death devour the birth
of something, perhaps
the first thing so deep
now it’s hard to say,
fruit perhaps, peaches
on my mother’s table.” —excerpt from “Saving Just the Real” by Clarence Major
December 31, 2025 at 8:34 PM
“When I was born I saw
death devour the birth
of something, perhaps
the first thing so deep
now it’s hard to say,
fruit perhaps, peaches
on my mother’s table.” —excerpt from “Saving Just the Real” by Clarence Major
death devour the birth
of something, perhaps
the first thing so deep
now it’s hard to say,
fruit perhaps, peaches
on my mother’s table.” —excerpt from “Saving Just the Real” by Clarence Major
“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.” —excerpt from “In Memoriam” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Happy last day of 2025! We hope you had an amazing year. 🍾
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.” —excerpt from “In Memoriam” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Happy last day of 2025! We hope you had an amazing year. 🍾
December 31, 2025 at 7:26 PM
“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.” —excerpt from “In Memoriam” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Happy last day of 2025! We hope you had an amazing year. 🍾
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.” —excerpt from “In Memoriam” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Happy last day of 2025! We hope you had an amazing year. 🍾
“He closed his eyes happily and lived for an instant in a purely olfactory world. The distant past returned—what part of it, he could not decide.” —excerpt from “A Distant Episode” by Paul Bowles
December 30, 2025 at 9:40 PM
“He closed his eyes happily and lived for an instant in a purely olfactory world. The distant past returned—what part of it, he could not decide.” —excerpt from “A Distant Episode” by Paul Bowles
“It’s so delicate, the light.
And there’s so little of it. The dark
is huge.” —excerpt from “A Few Delicate Needles” by Rolf Jacobsen
And there’s so little of it. The dark
is huge.” —excerpt from “A Few Delicate Needles” by Rolf Jacobsen
December 30, 2025 at 8:09 PM
“It’s so delicate, the light.
And there’s so little of it. The dark
is huge.” —excerpt from “A Few Delicate Needles” by Rolf Jacobsen
And there’s so little of it. The dark
is huge.” —excerpt from “A Few Delicate Needles” by Rolf Jacobsen
“I'll rid the world of bad things. But first, I need to get more coffee.”
—Liza Donnelly, “A Day in the Life of Woman Cartoonist”
@lizadonnelly.bsky.social
—Liza Donnelly, “A Day in the Life of Woman Cartoonist”
@lizadonnelly.bsky.social
December 29, 2025 at 10:30 PM
“I'll rid the world of bad things. But first, I need to get more coffee.”
—Liza Donnelly, “A Day in the Life of Woman Cartoonist”
@lizadonnelly.bsky.social
—Liza Donnelly, “A Day in the Life of Woman Cartoonist”
@lizadonnelly.bsky.social
Only a few more days until our Eleventh Annual High School Writing Contest is open for submissions!
Do you know what you’re writing about yet?
Do you know what you’re writing about yet?
December 29, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Only a few more days until our Eleventh Annual High School Writing Contest is open for submissions!
Do you know what you’re writing about yet?
Do you know what you’re writing about yet?
“He ended every year in this manner, writing and dreaming.” —excerpt from “A New Year’s Gift” by Guy de Maupassant
December 29, 2025 at 5:38 PM
“He ended every year in this manner, writing and dreaming.” —excerpt from “A New Year’s Gift” by Guy de Maupassant
“‘Isn’t this great?’ she said. ‘A bit of peace for ourselves?’”
—William Trevor, “Another Christmas”
—William Trevor, “Another Christmas”
December 19, 2025 at 11:15 PM
“‘Isn’t this great?’ she said. ‘A bit of peace for ourselves?’”
—William Trevor, “Another Christmas”
—William Trevor, “Another Christmas”
Join us in congratulating our Fall Story Contest winners!
A huge round of applause to the winners and finalists! It was a joy to read your stories.
www.narrativemagazine.com/fall-2025-st...
A huge round of applause to the winners and finalists! It was a joy to read your stories.
www.narrativemagazine.com/fall-2025-st...
December 19, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Join us in congratulating our Fall Story Contest winners!
A huge round of applause to the winners and finalists! It was a joy to read your stories.
www.narrativemagazine.com/fall-2025-st...
A huge round of applause to the winners and finalists! It was a joy to read your stories.
www.narrativemagazine.com/fall-2025-st...
Cartoon by David Gomberg
December 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Cartoon by David Gomberg
“when the trench-coated hero,
cigarette in hand, kissed the virginal heroine
in the old movies on our 12-inch television screen,
my father turned to me and muttered
‘Mush’” —excerpt from “Hard-Boiled Mystery” by David Grubin
cigarette in hand, kissed the virginal heroine
in the old movies on our 12-inch television screen,
my father turned to me and muttered
‘Mush’” —excerpt from “Hard-Boiled Mystery” by David Grubin
December 18, 2025 at 9:09 PM
“when the trench-coated hero,
cigarette in hand, kissed the virginal heroine
in the old movies on our 12-inch television screen,
my father turned to me and muttered
‘Mush’” —excerpt from “Hard-Boiled Mystery” by David Grubin
cigarette in hand, kissed the virginal heroine
in the old movies on our 12-inch television screen,
my father turned to me and muttered
‘Mush’” —excerpt from “Hard-Boiled Mystery” by David Grubin
“It’s just a great big old world with Santa and angels all around.”
—Frank Gordon, “Angels All Around, 1956”
—Frank Gordon, “Angels All Around, 1956”
December 17, 2025 at 11:30 PM
“It’s just a great big old world with Santa and angels all around.”
—Frank Gordon, “Angels All Around, 1956”
—Frank Gordon, “Angels All Around, 1956”
We’re celebrating Penelope Fitzgerald’s birthday today with these handwritten drafts: www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-...
December 17, 2025 at 9:31 PM
We’re celebrating Penelope Fitzgerald’s birthday today with these handwritten drafts: www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-...
“So, Ida, are you a Jew or a nudist? Do you believe in Hanukkah?” —excerpt from Robin Hemley’s “All Good Things Are Surprises”
December 17, 2025 at 7:30 PM
“So, Ida, are you a Jew or a nudist? Do you believe in Hanukkah?” —excerpt from Robin Hemley’s “All Good Things Are Surprises”
Our annual High School Writing Contest opens for submissions in 21 days!!
Be artful, be original. Be bold! Pick a subject or issue that confounds the world at large or troubles your life specifically—it can be something outside your window, your country, or closest of all, something in your heart.
Be artful, be original. Be bold! Pick a subject or issue that confounds the world at large or troubles your life specifically—it can be something outside your window, your country, or closest of all, something in your heart.
December 16, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Our annual High School Writing Contest opens for submissions in 21 days!!
Be artful, be original. Be bold! Pick a subject or issue that confounds the world at large or troubles your life specifically—it can be something outside your window, your country, or closest of all, something in your heart.
Be artful, be original. Be bold! Pick a subject or issue that confounds the world at large or troubles your life specifically—it can be something outside your window, your country, or closest of all, something in your heart.